Gas deliveries to Transnistria to resume via TurkStream pipeline

Gas deliveries to the breakaway Transnistria region in Moldova are set to resume through the TurkStream pipeline starting February 1.

Greek Cyprus-based Ozbor Enterprises has reserved a daily capacity of approximately 3.1 million cubic meters of natural gas for one month, according to data from the RBP trading platform cited by Russian newspaper Kommersant.

The reserved capacity will use the Strandzha-2 entry point at Türkiye’s border with Bulgaria. This move follows Gazprom’s suspension of gas deliveries to Transnistria on January 1 due to unpaid debts, leaving tens of thousands without heating and gas access.

Debt dispute between Gazprom and Moldova

Gazprom attributed the suspension to Moldova‘s unpaid debt of $709 million, a figure Moldovan authorities dispute. Since the suspension, the Transnistrian region has faced significant energy shortages, with central heating, hot water, and industrial operations halted.

While deliveries to Transnistria have historically bypassed right-bank Moldova, the region’s gas supply has largely been subsidized by Russia, often labeled as humanitarian aid.

TurkStream pipeline and regional gas dynamics

The TurkStream pipeline and its reverse-flow Trans-Balkan segment are emerging as key routes for supplying gas to the region. However, Moldova has raised concerns about the legality of these arrangements, emphasizing that only Moldovagaz is authorized to deliver gas to Transnistria.

Moldovan President Maia Sandu stated her government is analyzing the potential sanctions risks of using intermediary companies for these deliveries.

Ozbor Enterprises, the company facilitating this gas delivery, operates in the European gas market and has connections to former Gazprom executives, further complicating the geopolitical dynamics of the arrangement.

Humanitarian aid or strategic supply?

The gas deliveries are described as humanitarian, limited to the minimum necessary for basic consumption.

In previous years, larger gas volumes were used to generate electricity for Moldova. Energy experts note the current arrangement excludes such additional uses.

Despite ongoing disputes and political tensions, the resumption of gas deliveries through TurkStream reflects the complex energy dependencies in Eastern Europe and the strategic role of Türkiye as a transit hub.