Moldova is facing a security crisis after tens of thousands of people in the breakaway region of Transdniestria were cut off from their Russian gas supply, according to Prime Minister Dorin Recean.

The flow of Russian gas through Ukraine, which had supplied central and eastern Europe, was stopped at the end of 2024 after Ukraine decided not to continue doing business with Russia. Recean mentioned that Moldova would meet its energy needs through domestic production and imports, but he pointed out that the Transdniestria region, despite its connection to Moscow, had been significantly affected by the gas disruption. "By jeopardising the future of the protectorate it has backed for three decades in an effort to destabilise Moldova, Russia is revealing the inevitable outcome for all its allies – betrayal and isolation,” Recean said in a statement. "We treat this as a security crisis aimed at enabling the return of pro-Russian forces to power in Moldova and weaponising our territory against Ukraine, with whom we share a 1,200 km border."

Moldova, a southeast European country with around 2.5 million people, has gained attention since Russia invaded neighbouring Ukraine amid rising tensions between Moscow and the West. The country's pro-European President, Maia Sandu, won a second term in last year's election and has promised to speed up reforms and strengthen democracy. Moldova is also planning to hold a parliamentary election this summer. Transdniestria, a region where most people speak Russian, separated from Moldova in the 1990s and used to receive Russian gas through Ukraine. Moldova, in turn, relied on electricity from Transdniestria. However, since Ukraine announced it would stop allowing Russian gas to pass through, the government of Chisinau (Moldova) has made plans to switch to other sources. This includes a mix of electricity produced domestically and imported from Romania, as explained by Recean. According to him, the Moldovan government is still dedicated to supporting the enclave. 

"Alternative energy solutions, such as biomass systems, generators, humanitarian aid and essential medical supplies, are ready for delivery should the breakaway leadership accept the support," the government said in a statement. Vadim Krasnoselsky, the pro-Russian leader of Transdniestria, stated that the region has enough gas reserves to last for 10 days with limited usage in the northern areas and for 20 days in the southern areas.