Russia suspended gas deliveries to the Republic of Moldova on the first day of the new year. The separatist region of Transnistria, which is controlled by Russia and neighboring villages, is freezing, Deutsche Welle reports.
The first days of 2025 are cold in the Republic of Moldova. At night, temperatures are around zero. On days when the sun shines, they grow slightly. On January 7, the Colun family traditionally eats sarma: together with his wife, pensioner Gheorghe Colun prepares this traditional Christmas dish. In the Republic of Moldova, where most of the inhabitants are of the Orthodox faith, Christmas is celebrated according to the old Julian calendar.
But cooking these days is only possible on a wood-burning stove. As of January 1, 2025, Russia has suspended the supply of gas to the Republic of Moldova. “You see, we don’t have gas. There is light, but no gas. We can’t even make tea,” says the pensioner bitterly.
The Coluns live in a small house in the town of Cocieri on the Dniester River in Transnistria. The region between the river and the Ukrainian border is governed by a Moscow-backed separatist leadership and is de facto controlled by Russia.
The Dniester River represents the border. But the town of Cocieri, which has about 4,000 inhabitants, is located in an enclave in the middle of this separatist area, but it is under the administration of the Republic of Moldova. In order for the villagers to reach the territory of the state west of the Dniester, which is controlled by Chisinau, they have to use a ferry to cross the river.
But even though their place is under the administration of the Moldovan authorities, it is still connected by old Russian gas pipelines and therefore cannot get gas. Since the beginning of the Russian war against Ukraine in 2022, the Republic of Moldova no longer imports gas from Russia, but from the European market. However, Moscow continued to supply the separatist region.
“On the first of January at 9 o’clock in the morning, the gas supply was cut off,” says Gheorghe Colun. “Then I turned off the gas central heating. What the Russians are doing is terror. They can’t do anything else. I can’t deal with the civilized world.”
This pensioner was aware that the region would no longer receive gas from Russia, since the gas transit contracts between the Russian state company Gazprom and Ukraine expired on January 1. Thus, since the beginning of the new year, Russia has stopped supplying gas to Transnistria. Colun, however, took precautions and procured enough firewood in time.
Until then, like all residents of Transnistria, he enjoyed the privilege of paying a symbolic price for Russian gas. However, he is aware that even if the crisis is resolved one day, people in the region will not be able to pay for more expensive gas.
(Vijesti.ba)
