By AFP and Kontur | 2025-01-28

KYIV -- Ukraine is prepared to send coal to fuel a major power plant in the Moldovan region of Transnistria, which has been hit by an unprecedented energy crisis.

The territory, wedged between Ukraine and Moldova, has suffered heating and electricity cutoffs since the start of the year after Russian state energy giant Gazprom halted gas supplies to Transnistria on January 1 over an alleged debt dispute with the Moldovan government.

At the same time, Kyiv refused to renew a Kyiv-Moscow gas transit contract that expired January 1 that had allowed Russian gas to flow to Transnistria.

Moldova and its backers blame Moscow for the crisis, saying it is weaponizing gas supplies.

During a news conference with Moldovan President Maia Sandu in Kyiv, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy January 25 said his war-battered country could send coal to fuel the Cuciurgan power station in Transnistria.

The plant, which previously ran on Russian gas imported via Ukraine, has since been powered by coal. It previously supplied about 70% of Moldova's electricity.

"We have coal that we can actually supply to Moldova, we can supply to Tiraspol. If they really want people to have electricity," Zelenskyy said, referring to authorities in Transnistria's main administrative city.

"If we give them coal, we are ready to talk about a low price, even free of charge," the Ukrainian leader added, while floating the possibility that the region in turn could supply Ukraine with much-needed electricity.

Zelenskyy, whose own country's power grid has been battered by Russian air strikes, said that Ukraine was also prepared to send a delegation to the plant to optimize its output.

"Now it's for the regime in Tiraspol to accept this assistance, this help and to make sure that people get heating and electricity as soon as possible," Sandu said.

'Completely artificial energy crisis'

Internationally recognized as part of Moldova, Transnistria declared independence at the end of the Soviet Union and has been reliant on Moscow's financial support ever since but receives Russian gas via Moldova.

A demonstration took place in Transnistria January 24 calling on Moldova to facilitate the transit of Russian gas and end the energy crisis, local media reported.

Transnistria used to receive gas from Russia via a pipeline that crossed Ukraine and Moldova.

The rest of Moldova has been spared gas cuts thanks to gas and electricity imports from neighboring Romania.

With Ukraine's struggle against a Russian invasion nearly in its fourth year, Moldova is afraid the conflict could expand onto its territory in case of Russian attempts to destabilize Transnistria.

"Moldova is going through a completely artificial energy crisis, which was created by Moscow," Zelenskyy said.

"Energy resources are exactly the kind of weapon Russia uses to influence the politics of other countries through crises," he added.

In an interview with AFP, Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean last week accused Moscow of trying to generate "instability" in Moldova.

The crisis could be resolved only if Russian troops stationed in Transnistria since a war against Moldova in 1992 are pulled out, he said.