Moldova has declared a state of emergency in its energy sector amid fears of a potential halt in Russian gas supplies.
The country’s parliament approved the decision on Friday, December 13. The state of emergency will take effect on December 16 and remain in place for 60 days.
Ukraine has announced that it will not renew its gas transit contract with Russia’s Gazprom, which expires on December 31. This decision jeopardizes Moldova’s gas supply, as the current route runs through Ukraine. Negotiations on alternative supply routes have so far been unsuccessful.
Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean described the situation as exceptional. He warned that Russia could cut off energy supplies in an attempt to destabilize the country and leave people “without heating and electricity in the middle of winter.”
Moldova’s largest power plant, the Kuchurgan GRES, located in the breakaway region of Transnistria, also relies on Russian gas. The plant supplies electricity to a significant part of Moldova, and its operations could be severely affected if gas deliveries stop.
Recean urged the government to take immediate measures to ensure that this winter is the last in which Moldova faces the risk of energy shortages. He emphasized that such crises are “intentionally provoked” to spread panic and chaos but assured the public that no one in the country would be left without heat or light. In response to the crisis, Transnistria has also declared a state of emergency to prepare for potential disruptions in gas supplies.
