Moldovans face blackouts as energy crisis hits Russian region

COPANCA, Moldova (AP) – Every time there is a power cut in his village in southern Moldova, 73-year-old retiree Vasili Donici passes the time solving crosswords and puzzles in a room he lights using a small gas lamp.

“It’s a bit difficult without electricity,” said the former deputy director of the school who collects firewood to make sure he can use his wood stove in the room he lives in with his wife to keep warm. “There is still gas … but it will run out soon.”

The town of Copanca is just a few kilometers across the de facto border from Moldova’s autonomous region of Transnistria, where hundreds of thousands of people have been left without heating and hot water after Russia cut off gas supplies to the region in Jan. 1, in addition to an alleged debt of $709 million for past shipments to Moldova.

The decision of the Russian state-owned energy company, Gazprom, which came into force one day after the expiration of the gas transport agreement between Russia and Ukraine, stopped the delivery of gas to the Transnistria gas-fired power plant Kuciurgan, the largest plant in the country, which supplied a significant part of the gas. Electricity of Moldova.

Copanca, like more than a dozen other towns or villages controlled by the Moldovan authorities in the capital Chisinau but close to Transnistria, is still connected to the energy infrastructure of the breakaway Soviet region leaving them vulnerable during the energy crisis.

Planned daily blackouts across Transnistria – including Copanca – are currently scheduled for four hours twice a day. When the Kuciurgan power plant switched to coal and it led to an unexpected outage, some residual gas remained in the pipelines.

“It is difficult to deal with the lack of electricity and gas,” said Donici. “Yesterday, we didn’t work for eight hours. Everyone is scratching their heads, thinking what to do, so they don’t get cold.”

Citing findings by British and Norwegian audit firms, Moldova’s Western-backed government says its debt is close to $8.6 million, and has accused Moscow of using its weapons-making power to destabilize the European Union candidate country. Russia denies that it is interfering in Moldova.

Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean this week accused Russia of illegally creating an energy crisis to cause “destabilization in the region” and to “influence the results of parliamentary elections” that Moldova will hold later in 2025.

“What they want to achieve is to have a pro-Russian government in Moldova that will allow the consolidation of Russian military power in the Transnistrian region, and similarly use this position over Ukraine,” Recean told reporters during a closed session. call with other senior officials on Monday.

Transnistria – which broke away after a brief war in 1992 and is not recognized by many countries – declared a state of emergency last month as the gas crisis began. The majority of Transnistria’s approximately 350,000 people speak Russian as their first language and about 200,000 are Russian citizens. Russia also maintains about 1,500 troops in the so-called ice as “peacekeepers.”

Moldova has long claimed that Russia is waging a “hybrid war” against it by meddling in elections, funding anti-government protests and running massive disinformation campaigns to try to topple the government and undermine the country’s EU ambitions.

Last month, the parliament of Moldova also voted to impose a state of emergency in the energy sector, as this crisis threatens to leave the former Soviet republic without enough energy this winter, and they fear that this situation could cause a humanitarian crisis in Transnistria, where temperatures are high. it drops to subzero degrees Celsius.

The emerging crisis also prompted Chisinau to implement a series of energy-saving measures starting Jan. 1, including reducing lighting in public and commercial buildings by at least 30%, and businesses using electricity that operate during non-working hours.

Moldova’s power company, Energocom, has increased electricity purchases from neighboring Romania to ensure capacity but it is also more expensive. Although a mild January is helping things, electricity prices have risen and the government has said it will provide debt relief.

The EU’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, wrote on social media X this week that Russia “continues to use gas as a weapon and Moldova is once again a victim of its hybrid wars,” adding that “Thanks to the EU’s support, Moldova remains strong and well connected to European energy networks.” .”

The Moldovan government this week announced plans to connect more than a dozen cities and towns under the control of Chisinau that are connected to Transnistria’s energy infrastructure to Moldova’s electricity networks.

Afanasii Cutzari, the mayor of Copanca, says that so far the situation is under control because of the scheduled power cuts, but if, at any time, the gas runs out, “then there will be problems.”

“If possible, people should buy generators, but that is not a solution either,” he said. “Even a generator needs someone to start it, someone who understands how to use it. Workers need money.”

Cutzari added that the institutions in his village including the kindergarten, medical centers, ambulance, town hall and the post office will be difficult if the gas runs out. “It would be better if electricity and gas were always available,” he said.

Prime Minister Recean said that since the beginning of the electricity crisis, his government in Chisinau “proposed to organize the purchase of gas on behalf of Transnistrian,” but the authorities in the regional capital, Tiraspol, refused.

“Tiraspol is not independent in the decisions it makes,” he said on Thursday. “This problem is caused by the Russian Federation to distract the Republic of Moldova and use the Republic of Moldova in the war between Russia and Ukraine.”

After visiting Copanca and other villages in similar areas on Thursday, Moldovan President Maia Sandu said that some kindergartens and schools have been given electricity generators, and that the mayors can ask for help from Chisinau to bring firewood, firewood, and generators.

“We communicated with them that we are doing everything possible to provide them with alternatives that provide light, water and heat to their families,” he said, adding that Moldova is discussing “possible assistance” with foreign partners.

Carina Cazac, who owns a grocery store in Copanca, said that local people rushed to buy essentials such as oil and flour during the disaster, and that generators and oil lamps quickly ran out.

“Many people were depressed, and they started buying gas lamps,” he said. “It’s easier in the villages because many people have wood burning stoves … some have bought generators.”

But, he added, “Prices have gone up a lot, and not everyone can afford a generator.”

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Associated Press writer Stephen McGrath reported from Sighisoara, Romania.