Brussels, Belgium — The European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission, Kaja Kallas, on Tuesday accused Russia of using gas as a “weapon” in its “hybrid warfare” against Moldova.
“Russia continues to use gas as a weapon and once again Moldova is a target of its hybrid warfare,” Kallas posted on X after meeting Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean, and expressed the EU’s “unwavering solidarity” with the former Soviet republic.
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“Thanks to EU support Moldova remains resilient and well-connected to European energy networks,” she added.
On Dec. 13, 2024, Moldova declared a 60-day state of energy emergency amid the threat of a humanitarian crisis due to the planned cut-off of Russian gas transit through Ukraine, which came into effect on Jan. 1.
The energy problems are being felt in the Moldovan separatist region of Transnistria, where authorities have doubled power cuts to eight hours a day in two parts since Tuesday.
Local authorities said thousands of homes in the area – home to less than half a million people – have no access to electricity, gas, or hot water.
As a result of the reduced supply, the separatist authorities have been forced to shut down all businesses except the food industry.
The Kurchugan thermal power plant, which also supplied electricity to the rest of Moldova, had to stop pumping and start using coal instead of gas.
According to the authorities, the plant has coal reserves that will guarantee almost two months of electricity for consumers in the region, which has been loyal to Russia since it broke ties with Chisinau more than 30 years ago.
Until recently, the plant also supplied 80 percent of the needs of Moldova, which has been importing energy from Romania, albeit at a higher price, since the outbreak of war in neighboring Ukraine.
Moldova, which has announced plans to supply electricity to several areas of the separatist region, has also offered Transnistria help in buying gas on the European market.
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