Russian energy giant Gazprom has announced that, starting January 1, 2025, at 8:00 Moscow time, it will reduce gas supplies to the Republic of Moldova to zero. The company cites Moldova's refusal to meet its debt payment obligations as the reason for the decision, according to IPN, referencing Gazprom's official announcement published on the Russian supplier’s Telegram channel.
The notification was sent by Gazprom to Moldovagaz. In its letter, the Russian company cited "systematic non-payment of debts" and "significant breaches of contractual provisions".
Gazprom stated that the restrictions would remain in place until further notice, which will be communicated to Moldovagaz. Additionally, the Russian energy provider warned that it reserves all rights, including the unilateral termination of the contract and demands for payment of all debts and penalties for Moldovagaz's contractual non-compliance.
Vadim Ceban, the acting head of Moldovagaz, confirmed on his Telegram channel that starting January 1, 2025, at 7:00 local Moldovan time, the Russian Federation will cease natural gas deliveries. Ceban noted that since December 2022, the full volume of gas supplied by Gazprom, amounting to 5.7 million cubic meters daily, has been allocated to the Transnistrian region. Meanwhile, gas for residents on the right bank of the Dniester has been procured from regional and European markets. He assured that sufficient gas supplies have been secured to last until March 2025, inclusive.
Both Chisinau and Tiraspol declared an energy emergency in mid-December due to Ukraine's refusal to continue its transit agreement with Gazprom, blocking Russian gas flows through its territory. The deadline for Ukraine to reserve gas for transit expired in mid-December.
