Sandu announced that Moldova has fully ceased purchasing Russian natural gas.
President Sandu stated that the Vulcănești–Chișinău transmission line has now become operational, connecting Moldova’s grid to Romania and the broader European network. The 157-kilometer line enables Moldova to import electricity from Romania and other EU member states. The project, costing €61 million, was funded by the World Bank and experienced delays due to the war in Ukraine and technical challenges.
The new transmission infrastructure has freed Moldova from reliance on the Transnistrian Dniester Energy Hub, which previously met a significant portion of the country’s electricity demand.
Sandu also noted that two additional transmission lines to Romania are nearing completion. However, the new power supply comes at a higher cost for consumers. Moldova previously faced an energy crisis after the interruption of Russian gas transit through Ukraine.
This move to sever ties with Russian energy was not impulsive. Moldova’s energy sector had earlier declared that the constitutional territory would no longer procure Russian gas, citing lower prices on the European spot market compared to Russia’s formula pricing. Earlier this year, following the expiration of the Ukrainian gas transit agreement and the suspension of Russian gas supplies to Moldova, tens of thousands of residents in the Transnistrian region were left without heating—a stark reminder of the human cost of the energy transition.
Nevertheless, the actual extent of de-Russification remains contested. Opposition figures, including former President Dodon, have questioned whether natural gas imported via intermediaries in Romania, Poland, and the Netherlands—bought through European exchanges—is truly free of Russian origin. According to Dodon’s analysis, Moldova has incurred approximately $33 million in additional costs over the past two years since abandoning Russian gas. State-owned Energocom, citing confidentiality clauses in procurement contracts, has declined to disclose details and has filed multiple requests this year to raise residential gas tariffs—further substantiating Sandu’s acknowledgment of rising energy costs.
Moldova’s energy pivot represents a politically decisive but economically costly shift: physically, its grid and gas sources have pivoted toward Europe, yet the short-term burden is borne by households and public finances. The degree of de-Russification is partially diluted by complex intermediary supply chains. The Sandu administration is framing the transition as a trade-off between long-term security and immediate economic sacrifice, responding to opposition criticism over the added financial strain.
Original: toutiao.com/article/1881337494919243/
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