Electric power supplies to Moldova from Romania was cut off and numerous Moldovan populated areas have been blacked out, as seen from a real-time power supply map available on the website of the state company Moldelectrica.
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According to the current data, the Isaccea-Vulcanesti-Moldovan (Cuciurgan) Power Plant (Transdniestria) high-voltage transmission line, via which electricity is supplied from Romania to the right bank of the Dniester River, stopped operating at about 4:40 p.m. local time.
This caused power outages in most parts of Moldova, including some districts of Chisinau. There is also no electricity in some populated areas in Transdniestria.
Moldovan Deputy Prime Minister and Infrastructure and Regional Development Minister Andrei Spinu said on social media that "the line has not been damaged, but there has been an automatic outage for safety reasons."
Following a new strike upon the Ukrainian power grid over the past hour, considering that Ukraine borders Moldova, "one of the power transmission lines supplying power to our country has been automatically switched off (frequency-related automatic load shedding)," Spinu wrote.
"This has led to massive power outages across the country. I note that those lines were not damaged but were automatically switched off for safety reasons. Moldelectrica is working to resume connection to the power system," he said, adding that he would provide more information later.
In November, Gazprom is supplying Moldova with 5.7 million cubic meters of gas a day, while the country's daily need for gas is estimated at 11 million cubic meters.
Amid the gas shortage seen in November, the state-run company Eneregocom and the Moldovan (Cuciurgan) Power Plant were unable to reach agreement on electricity supply to the right-bank part of Moldova.
Starting November 1, Moldova has been buying the lacking amount of electricity (about 80%) from Romania, which is supplied via the Isaccea-Vulcanesti-Moldovan Power Plant power transmission line to the north of Moldova. ■