The breakaway republic of Transnistria no more receives financial support from the Russian Federation, from which it benefited uninterruptedly since 2008. On its website, the Russian publication Kommersant, quoted by Info-Prim Neo, says the third quarterly tranche of the financial assistance intended for paying salaries wasn’t transferred to Tiraspol’s Supreme Soviet. The Russian daily says the given information was confirmed by official sources in Moscow and Tiraspol. “It is true that the Russian humanitarian aid does not come anymore. It wasn’t transferred last month. We don’t know why, but were assured that the money will ultimately reach Transnistria,” said the head of the Supreme Soviet Anatoly Kaminski. Russia had transferred money to the Transnistrian region since 2008, at the request of the Supreme Soviet. Two years ago, the legislature of the self-proclaimed republic asked Russia’s Duma to support the pension raises in the region. The Duma granted the request. In the first half of this year, Transnistria received 414 million rubles to pay increased pensions (by $15) to 137,000 beneficiaries. The last tranche was disbursed in spring. Reportedly, Transnistria was warned about the possible halt last autumn. Sources in the Tiraspol administration told Kommersant that in February the Transnistrian leader Igor Smirnov received an official letter, urging more efficiently using the Russian money and requesting carrying out an independent audit at the Republican Bank of Transnistria. Allegedly, it became known that the money sent by Russia was transferred to the accounts of Gazprombank, which is controlled by Oleg Smirnov, the youngest son of Igor Smirnov. Tiraspol did not react to Moscow’s request. In several months, Transnistria’s financial situation worsened and the business of the Transnistrian leader’s son was affected. The press in Transnistria reported that the Russian banks started to close the correspondent accounts of the Transnistrian banks owing to certain irregularities committed by them. Gazprombank was suspected of using the money coming from Russia in fraudulent schemes. However, the pensioners in Transnistria are told that Russia continues to transfer money for pensions. In reality, the money comes from the payments made by the population and companies for Russian gas, which should be transferred to Gazprom. The breakaway republic of Transnistrian owes over $2 billion to Russia’s gas giant, Kommersant says.