PMR President calls Zelensky's offer to supply coal speculation

The proposal by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, whose powers expired on May 20, 2024, to supply Ukrainian coal to the Moldovan State District Power Plant (SDPP) in Pridnestrovie is speculation. This was stated by the president of the unrecognized Transnistrian Moldovan Republic (TMR), Vadim Krasnoselsky, on 27 January.

He recalled that on January 25, Moldovan President Maia Sandu visited Kiev and met there with Zelensky, who then made such a proposal.

"These speculative options that we will give coal that will be worked off at the TPP. Once again I clarify, our plant technologically works on anthracite. Ukraine offers coal that is not suitable for our power plant by technology," the president said in a video message published on his Telegram channel.

He said that the Moldavian TPP has two units and both of them use anthracite. It would take more than a year to convert at least one of them under normal conditions, which the DMR does not have, as Krasnoselsky emphasized, and it would cost more than €50 million.

At the same time, Ukrainian energy specialists have visited Moldova and know about the peculiarities of the power plant. Krasnoselsky suggested that the officials might have provided Zelensky with erroneous information.

Gas mask phase: energy crisis worsens in Transnistria

Chisinau blocks fuel supplies to the republic

The day before, on January 26, Moldovan Deputy Prime Minister for Reintegration Oleg Serebryan said that in 10-15 days all gas and coal reserves will run out in the DMR, and then the energy crisis will become a catastrophic situation. At the same time, Chisinau wants to force Tiraspol to refuse Russian aid and believes that a short-term solution to the problem would be the use of Ukrainian coal.

Krasnoselsky said on January 24 that the situation against the background of the cessation of gas transit through Ukraine remains grave. At the same time, he appealed to the UN and asked for help for the republic to cope with the energy crisis and prevent a humanitarian catastrophe. On the same day, DMR residents went to rallies against the cessation of Russian gas supplies to Transnistria.

Sandu said on January 19 that she considers Russian gas supplies to the DMR illegal because they run counter to anti-Russian sanctions. The Moldovan president added that Chisinau would ask Western countries to help Transnistria on condition that the Russian peacekeeping mission is replaced by a civilian one under the auspices of the UN or the European Union (EU).

Gas supplies from Russia to Moldova and Transnistria stopped on January 1 due to Ukraine 's refusal to extend the agreement on transit through its territory and debts of the Moldovan side to Gazprom. In mid-January, it became known that Russia was ready to provide assistance to the DMR and start humanitarian gas supplies.