In Transnistria, the lack of Russian gas has led to the shutdown of all industrial enterprises.

In the unrecognized Transnistria, the entire local industry has temporarily halted operations due to the cessation of Russian gas supplies through Ukraine. This was stated on Thursday, January 2, by the so-called first deputy head of the unrecognized government of Transnistria and the "minister of economic development" of the region, Sergey Obolonik, in an interview with Transnistrian media.

According to Obolonik, all industrial enterprises, except for those ensuring the region's food security, have ceased operations due to a significant shortage of energy resources. This refers to Russian gas, the transit of which Ukraine suspended on January 1, 2025, following the expiration of the contract with Gazprom.

“The problem is so global that if it remains unresolved for a long time, we will face irreversible changes. That is, enterprises will lose the ability to restart,” the so-called official stated.

At the same time, Sergey Obolonik claimed that the situation in Transnistria is “manageable and predictable.” By January 5, the unrecognized government is expected to determine how much energy the residential sector consumes and will decide how much energy can be allocated for industrial needs.

Meanwhile, Moldova has offered assistance to unrecognized Transnistria for gas procurement. The country is ready to supply energy resources from the European Union through all available alternative routes based on an agency agreement.

Recall that on January 1, 2025, Ukraine completely halted the transit of Russian gas through its territory. According to the head of Naftogaz of Ukraine, Oleksiy Chernyshov, Ukraine refused gas transit particularly because the Russian Federation does not fulfill the contract terms – it fails to pay the amounts stipulated in the agreement, which results in Naftogaz missing out on funding.