DISINFO: Long-term restrictive measures by the Republic of Moldova led to a deterioration of the situation in Transnistria
SUMMARY
Moldova's long-term restrictive measures including banking blockade and export bans for certain enterprises, combined with pandemic effects, interruption of traditional logistics links with Russia, loss of traditional markets, and new fiscal measures introduced by Chisinau have led to significant deterioration of the situation in Transnistria. Many enterprises risk halting operations due to rising costs and loss of markets. [...] the situation is not merely a business or economic matter but a question of survival and people's ability to earn their living.
The new taxes Chisinau intends to introduce soon will further aggravate the situation for enterprises experiencing sharp labour migration.
RESPONSE
The claim inverts causality by blaming Moldova for an economic crisis primarily caused by Russia's own actions. On January 1, 2025, Gazprom ceased free gas supplies to Transnistria that had sustained the region's economy for decades, as documented by the Wilson Center. Transnistria accumulated over $10 billion in unpaid gas debt since 2005, which Moscow never demanded payment for, using free gas as a political subsidy to maintain control.
Moldova offered technical and commercial support for Transnistria to purchase gas from European platforms, but Tiraspol rejected this assistance, as confirmed by Balkan Insight. German Marshall Fund research shows Moldova's 2024 customs code simply requires Transnistrian businesses to register and pay duties like other domestic enterprises, with 2,478 economic agents complying by December 2025.
The narrative omits that Russia deliberately refused to book capacity through the alternative Trans-Balkan pipeline despite technical feasibility, choosing instead to weaponise energy dependence while presenting itself as Transnistria's concerned protector.