The crisis prompted a question: will the breakaway region, occupied by Russia since 1992, survive without Russian gas? Free-of-charge Russian gas had been the backbone of Transnistria's economy and ensured the preservation of the breakaway region and its de facto independence from Moldova.

By Iulian Ernst in Bucharest The president of the unrecognised separatist Transnistria region in Moldova, Vadim Krasnoselsky, held talks in Moscow on January 14 on overcoming the energy crisis, the head of state's press secretary Denis Podgorny reported.

One option is Russia to start shipments through the Balkan corridor (Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania), without Moldova paying off the arrears, an analyst explained.

A humanitarian catastrophe is looming for the 367,000 inhabitants of Transnistria, a region of Moldova living under pro-Russian separatist control. Counting on rising discontent in both Transnistria and Moldova ahead of the parliamentary elections,

Moldova's breakaway Transdniestria region expects to receive Russian gas again soon to meet its needs, its leader Vadim Krasnoselsky said on Wednesday, two weeks into crippling power cuts in the Russian-backed enclave.

Moscow breakaway region of Transnistria halted almost all industrial activity except for food production, following the end of Russian gas flows through Ukraine, Interfax reported.

The head of the Moldovan separatist region of Transnistria announced Wednesday that Russia will restore gas supplies following his visit to Moscow for talks aimed at resolving a weeks-long energy crisis.

Vadim Krasnoselsky, the leader of the unrecognised republic of Transnistria in Moldova, has announced that Russia would supply gas to the region as humanitarian aid. Source: European Pravda, citing Russian state news agency TASS Details: Krasnoselsky stressed that "Russian gas will only be supplied to consumers in Transnistria,

Nikolai Patrushev, head of Russia's Security Council and adviser to Vladimir Putin, stated that Moldova's "anti-Russian policy" will lead to the country "ceasing to exist." Chisinau reacted, calling it "unacceptable interference.