Since losing Russian gas supplies, residents in Moldova, particularly in Cocieri, struggle with heating and rising energy costs. Many, like Valera Sava, rely on old heating methods while facing challenges from outdated infrastructure. Amid protests against higher European energy prices, the government seeks solutions but encounters local resistance. As they turn to Romania for electricity, communities grapple with blackouts and a longing for a resolution to the ongoing energy crisis influenced by geopolitical tensions.
Since the cessation of Russian gas supplies to Moldova, Valera Alexandru Sava has resorted to heating only the ground floor of his home, often donning a hat and coat even indoors.
Like many in his community, he is hesitant to accept pricier energy imports from Europe and yearns for Moscow to resume its gas deliveries.
Sava resides in Cocieri, a village under Moldovan authority yet nestled within Transnistria, a breakaway region still home to Russian troops more than thirty years after the dissolution of the USSR.
As Moldova has largely weaned itself off Russian gas since the onset of the conflict in Ukraine, Cocieri remains reliant on Gazprom for its energy needs.
However, this arrangement came to a halt in early January due to a financial dispute. Pro-European President Maia Sandu has criticized what she labels a destabilization tactic by Moscow ahead of the upcoming legislative elections in the fall.
– ‘Complicated and Costly’ –
In response to the gas shortage, the sixty-year-old war veteran has dusted off an old stove to heat his home before his wife returns from her job at the local nursery.
“Fortunately, we still have some wood left,” he shares with AFP, noting that approximately 900 households are now out of fuel for heating.
Cocieri isn’t alone; around ten municipalities in Moldova that are interconnected with Transnistria are also grappling with heating shortages.
This self-proclaimed republic has requested gas supplies from Moldova, but Sava is concerned about soaring costs.
He highlights the bills faced by his daughter in the capital, Chisinau, where she pays seven times more for gas in her modest apartment than he does.
For Oleg Serebrian, Moldova’s Deputy Prime Minister overseeing Transnistria reintegration, it’s unfortunate that outdated energy distribution systems from the Soviet era still linger.
While the government aims to link affected villages to Moldova’s energy infrastructure, the task is anything but straightforward.
“It’s a significant investment. Technically, it’s rather complicated and costly,” explains Ivan Mitcul, secretary of the Cocieri town hall, referring to a proposed pipeline crossing the Dniester River.
“The situation is critical; we can no longer lead a normal life,” he expresses with concern.
– ‘Living in the Stone Age’ –
Across the Dniester, the community in Copanca experiences prolonged blackouts due to insufficient electricity from the gas-powered thermal plant in Transnistria.
When bulldozers arrived to commence connection work to the broader Moldovan grid, residents protested vehemently.
“We do not want your help!” dozens of locals shouted. They had also expressed their discontent during a visit from Maia Sandu in mid-January, calling out for her to “leave us alone” as they rejected higher European prices.
In light of halted gas supplies, Chisinau has turned to Romania for electricity, nearly doubling household energy costs.
Minister Serebrian attributes the protests to “external influences,” suggesting they are orchestrated to create confusion and damage the Moldovan government’s reputation, particularly in the context of ongoing peace discussions regarding Ukraine.
Moscow has dismissed these allegations, condemning what it describes as “propaganda attacks.”
“Both sides share the blame; neither is willing to concede,” states Sergiu Sava, 55, a security officer in Cocieri. “It’s better to endure without gas and light than to be embroiled in conflict. We will persevere,” he reflects philosophically.
In the meantime, patience is essential. In Varnita, people navigate the streets with flashlights while many shops remain in darkness.
Valentina Gora, 65, sells eggs and bread to customers using her phone’s light. “It feels like we’ve been transported back to the Stone Age. Yes, we aspire to join Europe, but not under these circumstances,” she laments, weary of the ongoing tug-of-war between the West and Russia.
“I don’t care which side resolves the crisis, but a solution needs to be reached,” she concludes.