**Rolling Blackouts in Russian-Occupied Transnistria**
A news report from January 3 stated that authorities in Russian-occupied Transnistria began rolling blackouts on the same day. The reason is a gas shortage caused by Russia’s suspension of gas exports to Moldova.
**Background: Gas Shortage and Dispute**
Russia’s state-controlled energy company, Gazprom, halted gas deliveries to Moldova on January 1. They claimed that Moldovagaz had unpaid debts. However, Moldovan officials dispute this claim, saying an international audit failed to verify the debts.
**Impact on Transnistria**
The blackouts are aimed at reducing energy consumption in main cities like Tiraspol, Rybnitsa, and Bender, as well as several villages. The region has about 370,000 residents. Widespread heating outages have been reported, making the situation “grave” according to Sergey Obolonik, the first deputy chairman of the Transnistrian administration.
**Prolonged Disruptions**
Obolonik warned that prolonged disruptions could cause irreversible damage to the region’s industrial capacity. Moldova has offered to help Transnistria purchase gas through European platforms.
**Russian Occupation and Other Developments**
Transnistria has been heavily affected by Russian occupation since the early 1990s. Recent developments include Russia suspending gas exports, which led to rolling blackouts in Transnistria, as well as other news from the region.
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