Due to a shortage of Russian gas, industry in Transnistria has halted operations, according to Reuters.

The halt of Russian gas supplies to the separatist region of Transnistria, which occurred recently, led to the closure of all industrial enterprises in the area on January 2, except for food producers.

This was reported by Reuters.

According to the publication, the unrecognized Transnistria, with a population of around 450,000, has faced difficulties following the cessation of Russian gas supplies to Central and Eastern Europe via Ukraine.

"All industrial enterprises are idle, except for those engaged in food production – that is, those directly ensuring food security in Transnistria," said Sergey Obolonyk, the first deputy prime minister of the region, in an interview with a local news channel.

"It is still too early to assess how the situation will evolve... The problem is so extensive that if it is not resolved, we will soon face irreversible changes, meaning enterprises will lose the ability to restart," he added.

The "President" of Transnistria, Vadim Krasnoselsky, stated that gas reserves in the region are likely sufficient for 10 days of limited consumption in the northern areas and approximately 20 days in the south. According to him, the main power plant in the region has switched from gas to coal and will be able to supply electricity to the population in January and February.

Previously, Russia supplied about 2 billion cubic meters of gas to Transnistria annually, including for the power plant that also provided electricity to all of Moldova. Currently, more than 60% of Moldova's electricity is imported from neighboring Romania.

The publication reports that European countries, such as Slovakia and Austria, have prepared for possible disruptions by securing alternative sources of gas supply. After the onset of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Europe significantly reduced its dependence on Russian energy resources, increasing imports of pipeline gas from Norway and LNG from the USA and Qatar.

Background. Earlier, Mind reported that Russia began to reduce the flow of gas through Ukraine to Europe. After the transit ends, Kyiv will lose about $800 million annually, while Gazprom will lose $5 billion in annual revenue.