Transnistria told about the life of the population after stopping gas supplies

The deputy head of the administration for social issues in the town of Rybnitsa in Transnistria, Iurii Moldovskyi, told Izvestia on January 3 about the assistance to local residents and the work of enterprises after the gas supplies to the region were cut off.

"The situation with the cessation of gas supplies has taken our population out of the comfort zone, who now have to heat themselves and come up with some ways to live," Moldovsky admitted, adding that people need firewood, accommodation, and heating.

Meanwhile, all businesses in Ribnita are operating normally, the deputy head of the administration said.

The head of the temporary accommodation center Tatiana Lukasishina said that there are 150 places in the dormitory building for those who need support: first medical aid, food, accommodation.

"All possible conditions. We heat so that people can endure," she pointed out.

One of the local residents shared with Izvestia that the temperature indoors depends almost directly on the weather outside. Thus, in his house the thermometer shows 16 degrees.

According to another resident of the city, the apartment is still warm.

"The apartment is still warm. There is a heater, we bought a stove, and there is a multivarka. I turn on the dishwasher only at night," said the woman.

Nevertheless, local residents try not to despair.

"Everything will get better, everything will be fine, the politicians must agree," said one of the interlocutors of the newspaper.

Gas for that: Moldavia expects protests after transit through Ukraine is cut off

With whom Chisinau will have to negotiate now

On December 6, an economic state of emergency was introduced in Transnistria because of the difficult situation in the energy sector.

Before that, on November 22, Moldovan Energy Minister Victor Parlicov said that Transnistria may face energy difficulties from January 1 if Russia's Gazprom stops supplying gas. The energy minister said that the country needs the help of foreign partners, but these include neither Brussels nor Washington, which will not finance the Transnistrian region.

Then, on November 26, Moldovan Deputy Prime Minister for Reintegration Oleg Serebryan said that a possible cessation of gas supplies to Transnistria by the Russian Federation after stopping the transit of Russian gas through Ukraine would turn into a humanitarian catastrophe. According to him, such a situation should be avoided by any state.

On January 1, 2025, Gazprom stopped supplying fuel to Europe through the Ukrainian gas transportation system.

In August 2024, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (his term of office expired in May 2024) said that Kiev would not extend the gas transit agreement with Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin pointed out that Moscow was not giving up gas supplies through Ukraine.