Authorities in Moldova's. separatist Transdniestria region on Sunday cut off gas products. to numerous state institutions as a deal enabling Russian gas to. transit through Ukraine concerns an end at the close of the. year.

The cutoff was enforced 2 days before the transit deal runs. out, following Ukraine's refusal to extend it in wartime. It has. sparked fears of mass Brand-new Year power cuts in Moldova, an. ex-Soviet state between Ukraine and Romania.

The company that disperses gas in the pro-Russian. separatist region, Tiraspoltransgaz, stated 12 state organizations. were cut off around the towns of Dubasari and Bender, on the. border with government controlled-areas of Moldova.

They consisted of 4 education facilities and a medical. center as well as a police station and a prosecutor's workplace.

The cuts were imposed a day after Russian energy giant. Gazprom stated it would suspend gas exports to Moldova. from 0500 GMT on Jan. 1 due to debt by Moldova.

Moldova contests the accusations of arrears for previous gas. shipments and accuses Russia of destabilising the nation.

Russia provides Moldova with about 2 billion cubic metres of. gas annually, which has actually been piped via Ukraine to pro-Russian. separatist Transdniestria, where a thermal plant produces cheap. power that is offered to government-controlled parts of Moldova.

The Kremlin's genuine objective here is to destabilise Moldova and. plunge it into mayhem, previous Energy Minister Victor Parlicov. told Radio Moldova. Parlicov was dismissed for failing to deal with. the energy crisis after satisfying the head of Gazprom last month.

Moscow denies all such allegations.

Both government-controlled Moldova and Transdniestria have. enforced financial states of emergency, consisting of procedures to. lower power consumption at peak hours.

Parlicov dismissed Gazprom's claim Moldova had collected. arrears of $709 million, saying that considering that 2022 all gas shipped. to Moldova had actually been directed directly to separatist. Transdniestria. The country has because diversified its sources. and protected gas products from Romania and other countries.

Moldova says a global audit of its deals with. Gazprom puts the payment financial obligations at $8.6 million.

Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean has actually condemned Gazprom's. decision ahead of the overall shutdown of Russian gas exports through. Ukraine, likewise intended for Slovakia, Austria, Hungary and Italy.

Moldova has actually prompted Gazprom to think about other paths to provide. the country, particular through the Turkstream pipeline in. Turkey and from there through Bulgaria and Romania.

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, who fulfilled Russian President. Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin recently, has actually criticised Ukraine. for declining to extend the deal.

His foreign minister, Juraj Blanar, on Sunday declined. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's recommendation Fico opened. a 2nd energy front versus Kyiv.

(source: Reuters)