Moldova may face a security crisis if Russia cuts off gas supplies to Transnistria. This is a threat to the country's stability and territorial integrity, stated Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean,

The breakaway Moldovan region of Transnistria cut heating and hot water supplies to households on Wednesday after Russia stopped supplying gas via Ukraine.

Kyiv has finally turned off Russia’s gas supply to Europe, ending a source of income that helped pay for Moscow’s war against Ukraine. The decades-old deal, which allowed the transit of natural gas produced by Russian energy giant Gazprom through Ukraine, ended at midnight on December 31, shutting down Russia’s last major gas corridor to Europe.

The end of Russian gas flows through Ukraine marks a further decline in Moscow's control over European energy markets

Russian-owned gas giant Gazprom announced in December it would halt gas supplies to Moldova over a dispute over an alleged $709 million debt for past supplies.

Moldovans are bracing for a difficult winter ahead as a looming energy shortage could leave them without enough energy.

Russian energy giant Gazprom said on Saturday it would suspend gas exports to Moldova from 0500 GMT on Jan. 1 due to unpaid debt by Moldova, which is bracing for severe power cuts.

Russian Gazprom's decision to halt gas supplies to Moldova resulted in a heating outage in the Russian-controlled region of Transnistria, prompting Chisinau to seek alternative sources of electricity.

By Iulian Ernst in Bucharest Majority state-owned Russian company Gazprom discontinued its gas supplies to Moldova at 7:00am local time on January 1, saying that Moldovagaz, in which the Russian company holds a majority stake,

Russian gas has stopped passing through Ukraine after a five-year deal expired, leaving Moldova at risk of a crisis.

Russia's "leverage of Europe" has ended, according to the Ukrainian foreign minister, after the deal to transport gas via the war-torn country to the rest of the continent expired on New Year's Day.