[The breakaway Moldovan region of Transnistria has cut off heating and hot water supplies to households after Russia ceased pumping gas through Ukraine to the region. The move comes as a result of the expiry of a gas transit deal between Russia and Ukraine. According to an employee of local energy company Tirasteploenergo, there is currently no heating or hot water in the region.
The breakaway region, which has a population of 500,000, is home to around 1,500 Russian troops and has generally existed peacefully alongside Moldova since the end of a brief post-Soviet war in 1992. However, Moldova accuses Russia of exploiting its energy dependence on Moscow to destabilize the country.
The local parliament has recently sent an appeal to the Kremlin and the Russian parliament to reach a new agreement with Ukraine to enable gas supplies to continue. Russia has pledged to protect its citizens and soldiers in Transnistria, but Moldova remains skeptical.
The situation has led to the cut off of heating and hot water supplies to households, with some facilities such as hospitals exempted. Residents are being urged to dress warmly, gather family members together in a single room, hang blankets or thick curtains over windows and balcony doors, and use electric heaters. The use of gas or electric stoves to heat apartments is forbidden due to the risk of accidents. The length of the heating cut-off is currently unknown.
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