Russia’s state-owned energy giant Gazprom says it will halt gas supplies to Moldova starting on Jan. 1, citing alleged unpaid debt by the east European country.

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.

Russia’s Gazprom PJSC will halt natural gas supplies to Moldova starting on Jan. 1 due to an alleged debt impasse amid a state of emergency in the Eastern European nation’s energy sector.

Russia's energy giant Gazprom claimed the decision was related to Moldova's outstanding debt, not problems with transit via Ukraine.

MOSCOW (Reuters) -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. It said the company reserved the right to take any action,

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

A woman leaves at the end of a religious service inside the Saint John the Baptist cathedral in Comrat, the capital of Gagauzia, an autonomous part of Moldova, 2 Nov 2024

Gazprom will cease supplying natural gas to the Moldovan company Moldovagaz in 2025, which will "plunge pro-Russian Transnistria into the cold," writes "Gazeta Wyborcza" on Tuesday. The energy crisis will pose a significant challenge for Chișinău in the year of parliamentary elections.

Russia's Gazprom announced it will halt gas supplies to Moldova on January 1st, citing unpaid debt. Moldova accuses Moscow of weaponizing energy as it braces for power cuts and enacts emergency measures to conserve energy.