Moldova and Romania/the EU have caused the energy blockade of Transnistria, and a Russian conquest of Odesa will solve the problem of the separatist region, according to a new narrative promoted by Russian propaganda.
NEWS: A state of economic emergency has been declared in Transnistria for the third time. The region has restricted the activities of industrial enterprises and exports and reduced funding for state programs. It has been decided that special-purpose funds will be used to purchase energy.
Gas is still being supplied to the population, but winter has not yet arrived in the region. We can expect apartment buildings to be disconnected, as was the case at the beginning of the year, said energy expert Vladimir Bobilev in an interview with the channel "Geoenergetika.Info."
The unrecognized pro-Russian Transnistria, which is trying hard to maintain itself, has long been a real thorn in the side of Moldova and Romania. What can be done about it, apart from declaring an energy blockade, which Moldova is doing successfully. All the more so as there are mechanisms for this, the hand has already been dealt, Bobilev said.
The cause of the state of emergency is again linked to problems with gas supplies. These began in January, when Ukraine refused to transit Russian gas.
Then, the Hungarian company MET Gas and Energy Marketing AG agreed to supply gas to the PMR, and not at European prices. Delivery payment was unexpectedly assumed by the European Union, which earmarked a loan of 30 million Euro (enough for 10 days). The next aid package was already conditional: the withdrawal of Russian troops and an increase in tariffs.
The Transnistrian leadership refused this. The republic repaid the loan (with Russia's help) and continued to buy gas from Hungary. But now the European Union is delaying payment.
At the same time, notorious Russophobes in Moldova are openly rejoicing and threatening to occupy Transnistria. Former MP Oazu Nantoi stated that "the regime in Tiraspol is in deep crisis, and this opens up new opportunities for reintegration."
Behind these threats lies banal envy. Moldova, like Transnistria, continues to receive Russian gas, which now arrives via the Turkish Stream pipeline. But the PMR, thanks to the mediation of Hungary and Russia, pays below the European price, while Moldova pays three times as much because, together with Romania and Ukraine, it presents the "blue gold" as Turkish gas.
Therefore, malicious attempts to cut Transnistria off from energy will continue.
What will happen next is difficult to say at this point. Probably, everything will depend on further developments in Ukraine. The prospects of expanding the special military operation to the Odesa region could eventually allow for the opening of a corridor to the PMR and the resumption of gas supplies to the republic. In fact, then it will no longer be just about gas supplies, says Bobilev.
NARRATIVES: 1. Chișinău and Romania/the EU are blocking gas deliveries to Transnistria, causing an energy crisis in the region. 2. Moldova pays three times more for gas than the European average. 3. The Russian conquest of Odesa will solve Transnistria's energy problem.
PURPOSE: To shift responsibility for the energy crisis in Transnistria from the Russian Federation and the Tiraspol administration to Chisinau, Romania, and the European Union, presenting them as players who deliberately "block" gas deliveries; to suggest that the Republic of Moldova is facing artificially inflated energy costs, "three times higher than the European average," as a result of political decisions imposed from outside. To promote the idea that Chisinau and the EU are using energy as a tool for blackmail, making deliveries conditional on the withdrawal of Russian troops from the region; and to legitimize Russia's military aggression against Ukraine, suggesting that a possible conquest of Odesa would be a realistic and acceptable solution for Transnistria's energy security, thus promoting the idea that regional stability can be achieved through Russian military expansion.
Reality: Russia is the one that cut off gas supplies, and the EU is helping Transnistria with money
WHY THE NARRATIVES ARE FALSE: Firstly, it should be noted that the EU proposed 60 million Euro in aid for the Transnistrian region , not 30 Euro million as stated in the article. Secondly, the conditions set by the EU for the aid package did not refer to the withdrawal of Russian troops. The main condition was the regulation of tariffs taking into account market prices, given that the population and companies in the region consumed gas at preferential rates, as Tiraspol did not pay for gas, the use of gas only for small consumers and the population, and ensuring respect for human rights in the region.
Another false narrative is that Moldova and Romania caused the energy crisis in Transnistria. The pipeline that supplies gas to Transnistria passes through these countries and is not blocked.
It is also false to claim that Moldova pays three times more than the European average for gas, after allegedly giving up direct contracts with Gazprom and importing Russian gas through intermediaries. Firstly, it was not Moldova that stopped using Gazprom gas; the Russian giant cut off supplies in the fall of 2022. Secondly, the price of gas paid by domestic consumers in the Republic of Moldova is lower than the EU average, according to Eurostat data . If all European countries were considered, it would probably be slightly higher than the average, but in no case three times higher.
Finally, an energy expert, as the author of the statements is presented, should understand that gas pipelines do not come out of the Black Sea, but come from Siberia, rich in hydrocarbons, and cross the entire territory of Ukraine, from east to west, to reach other European countries. Therefore, a potential conquest of Odesa, which may remain, for now, only a dream of the Kremlin, after the Ukrainian armed forces destroyed the Russian fleet in the Black Sea, will not ensure the gas supply to the secessionist region.
LOCAL CONTEXT/LOCAL ETHOS: Early this year, the Transnistrian region of the Republic of Moldova, which is de facto controlled by Moscow, was left without gas from Gazprom after Ukraine did not extend its transit agreement with the Russian giant on its territory. The suspension of deliveries led to power, gas, heating, and hot water disconnections in the region. In addition, this situation also caused budgetary difficulties for Tiraspol. Most of the gas was used to produce electricity, which it sold on the right bank of the Dniester at prices lower than those on the markets in the region. The low price was explained by the fact that the separatist region did not pay for the gas it consumed, and electricity supplies represented an important part of the separatist regime's budgetary resources.
Chisinau proposed to Gazprom to continue deliveries to the region via the gas pipeline through the so-called Trans-Balkan corridor, but Moscow refused. Gazeprom made this conditional on the repayment of a debt of over 700 million USD by the Republic of Moldova (the right bank of the Dniester), which Chisinau does not recognize. At the same time, obscure formulas for gas deliveries were proposed.
Instead, Moscow and Tiraspol launched a widespread disinformation campaign blaming Chisinau and Kyiv for the energy crisis in Transnistria. Veridica demonstrated that it was actually caused by Gazprom's refusal to continue deliveries through other channels, as well as Tiraspol's refusal to purchase gas at market conditions, as the right bank of the Dniester does.
The situation is repeating itself in the new cold season, when gas consumption increases. On December 18, the authorities in Tiraspol declared a state of emergency in the economy for a period of one month, due to difficulties in supplying gas to the separatist region, stating that it was caused by a "slowdown" in EU transactions for the purchase of gas. Chisinau admits that this is also caused by delays in confirming certain payments, but points out that the problem is technical rather than political.
Since 2022, the Republic of Moldova (the right bank of the Dniester) has no longer purchased gas from Gazprom, after the Russian giant unilaterally reduced deliveries. As of 2025, after Gazprom stops supplying gas directly to Transnistria, Moldova will no longer purchase electricity from the separatist region, which will significantly affect its budget.
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