The population of Transnistria suffers power cuts and lacks heating after supplies of gas to the eastern pro-Russian province of Moldova have stopped. Moldova's PM claims Russia is now trying to swoop in as the savior.
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00:00It's the middle of winter, and these radiators are ice-cold.
00:06So is the home of former teacher Vasili Donichi in Transnistria, the pro-Russian separatist
00:12region of eastern Moldova.
00:20We were kind of expecting these shortages, because the Moldova radio announced that we
00:24were supposed to save electricity, and also because it's more expensive at rush hour.
00:28So I was kind of prepared for this.
00:31I think everybody works their heads around what to do in order not to freeze in the winter.
00:35The streetlights are off, there's no light during the night, also in the city down there.
00:46Vasili lives in an internationally recognized part of Moldova that declared independence
00:51after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
00:54It now finds itself without the fuel, leaving residents without power and in the cold, after
00:59Russia halted gas supplies to the region earlier this year, claiming it was owed more
01:04than 700 million euros from the Moldovan government for past supplies, despite providing it to
01:10the region for free.
01:13Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Rechian offered another explanation, that Russia is using
01:20the gas as leverage to boost its influence in the pro-Moscow region.
01:27It's a trap.
01:28So this time, when Moldova decided to have its pro-European path in the constitution,
01:40this time that we open negotiations, they just want to create a security crisis in the
01:47region and ultimately stop Moldova from advancing in the process of integration in the European
01:56Union.
01:57At the World Economic Forum, Rechian tried to drum up support for Moldova's application
02:03into the EU, and EU leaders made strong pleas for better protection against Russian encroachment.
02:08It's clear that in the geopolitical situation which we are facing, with Russia's aggression
02:14against Ukraine, and with Russia openly talking also about invading other countries, Europe
02:20will need to strengthen our defence capabilities and defence industry, and that will require
02:27also strong cooperation in a framework of NATO.
02:31We have to change the trajectory of the war which is ongoing, and so far as we know the
02:37front line is moving in the wrong direction.
02:40A moving front line, increasingly a fear for Moldova as it awaits EU membership.
02:46For residents of Transnistria, having enough fuel to make it through winter is the biggest
02:50fear and the biggest priority for now.