Tofilat on the Cessation of Russian Gas Transit: “Nothing Will Change for Chisinau”

In case of a complete cessation of Russian gas transit through Ukraine, there will be no shortage of blue fuel on the right bank of the Dniester. Chisinau has not been buying Russian gas for more than a year. This was told by energy expert Sergiu Tofilat on the air of “New Week with Anatolie Golea”. “Last year, buying gas from European traders, we saved about $60 million compared to the price from Gazprom. There will be no problems on gas supplies for the right bank. Nothing will change,” Tofilat assured. Nevertheless, he admitted that because of this situation, electricity tariffs may rise in Moldova, as it will have to be purchased on the Romanian market, not from the Cuciurgan power plant. “If the price is 90 euros per megawatt-hour, the tariffs will increase by about 20%. If the price is 124 euros per megawatt-hour, the tariff increase will be 35-40%,” the expert explained. At the same time, Tofilat suggested that the cessation of Russian gas supplies could turn into a humanitarian catastrophe for the Transnistrian region. In these conditions, the expert believes that Tiraspol will have to turn to Chisinau for help. “Without conditionally free gas, they will have a hole in their budget, they will not be able to pay social allowances and pensions. Accordingly, businesses will not be able to operate without gas and most enterprises will simply close down. It will be a humanitarian catastrophe. I don’t think anyone is happy with this scenario,” Tofilat concluded. The five-year contract for gas transit from Russia to Europe via Ukraine expires in 2024. Kyiv has warned that it will not negotiate with Moscow on its extension.