Viktor Parlikov
Whether there is a direct link to this fact or not, there were interruptions in the supply of natural gas to consumers in the unrecognized DMR on April 5. The officially announced reason was technical problems. The gas supply was restored on April 8-9.
Other sources suggest that the disruptions occurred due to a sharp decrease in the volume of supplies to Transnistria from foreign traders. In addition, financial problems with payment seem to have appeared.
In any case, the scheme of gas supplies to the unrecognized region remains rather vague.
Let us remind you that the crisis in gas supply to Transnistria began on January 1, 2025, after the termination of Russian gas transit through Ukraine. On February 14, the region started to receive gas from the Hungarian company MET Gas and Energy Marketing. A short-term agreement was reached with the company. Technically, the supplies were made possible with the participation of gas transportation system operators from the EU, Ukraine and Moldova. And with the support of the EU.
MET’s actions were paid for, as they say, with money of Russian origin, through JNX General Trading, a company registered in Dubai. The specific source of funding is unknown.
Deliveries from the Hungarian MET were supposed to go to Transnistria until February 28, but in reality lasted until the end of March. Deliveries for April were discussed, but it was not clear whether MET would remain.
During the same period, February-March, other traders were also involved. Thus, for three days, from February 11 to 13, the operator Moldovagaz purchased gas for Tiraspoltransgaz and at its expense on the Romanian commodity exchange. 8.3 million cubic meters of gas were delivered.
Earlier, from February 1 to February 10, the supplies for Transnistria were paid for with an EU grant of 20 million euros. The Chisinau-based state enterprise Energocom used these funds to purchase about 26.2 million cubic meters of gas for Transnistria on the Romanian and Bulgarian exchanges.
And in early April, unofficial information appeared that the financial intermediary had been changed. The payment seems to be made not through JNX General Traiding, but through another company, but also registered in Dubai. Its name is not disclosed.
However, there is another version: the banks of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have lengthened the deadline for Russian businesses to make payments. In 2025, it now takes an average of 14 days to transfer money between Russia and the UAE.
At present, natural gas is supplied through the Turkish Stream pipeline to the countries of Southern and Southeastern Europe, including Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia and others. Moldovan energy specialists are well aware that the gas supplied to Transnistria is of Russian origin. Although this is rarely said out loud.
But the “secret of Polichinel” was practically revealed a few days ago by the former Minister of Energy Victor Parlicov. In an interview he said: “Despite the fact that “Gazprom” announced the cessation of direct supplies to the left bank of the Dniester, the gas that goes there is still Russian. Although officially supplies are made through a Hungarian company. There is probably a company in Dubai where all this is taken into account. The lack of transparency regarding the financial flows involved raises questions”.
