TIRASPOL, January 15. /TASS/. Russia will supply gas to serve the essential needs of Transnistria, president of the unrecognized Transnistria Vadim Krasnoselsky said at a press conference following the talks in Moscow.
"[Gas will be supplied] in the volume that is necessary for the population of Transnistria, for the thermal power industry and for industrial enterprises of Transnistria," he said, answering a question about whether volumes for other needs will be supplied, as before.
Krasnoselsky did not specify how long this humanitarian gas arrangement would stay in place.
"No, there are no details yet. Supply will start, that's a fact, then we'll see how the situation plays out," he said.
Krasnoselsky also declined to comment on whether these gas volumes will be sufficient to resume electricity exports to Moldova, or who will pay for the transit of humanitarian gas.
"As for the route, payment, transit - this is all being negotiated, it is too early to give any answers," the President of Transnistria said.
Moldova and especially Transnistria found themselves in a very difficult situation after gas supply lines from Russia through Ukraine were cut off. It has no economic alternative to gas supplies from Russia, as well as no reserves of this energy resource, and all gas routes run through Ukraine, experts noted. Maintaining the pumping of Russian gas to Moldova will depend on the political decisions made.
Experts' conclusions
As an alternative, the experts suggested the Iasi-Ungheni-Chisinau gas pipeline from Romania, which has a capacity of 1.5 billion cubic meters per year. But even at maximum capacity, which is still to be reached, this pipeline can cover only about 50% of Moldova's usual annual consumption. All other routes go through Ukraine, including the old Trans-Balkan gas pipeline in reverse mode (Gazprom transported gas via this route to Turkey and the Balkan countries until 2020).
On December 16, 2024, a state of emergency was introduced in Moldova due to the termination of Russian gas transit through Ukraine on January 1, 2025.
In early December, Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean said that the termination of Russian gas supplies to Transnistria, which provides up to 80% of the electricity consumed by Moldova, would not only lead to higher prices for it, but also to disruptions in supplies to consumers, potentially sparking a humanitarian catastrophe in the winter.