STORY: Moldova’s breakaway region of Transdniestria has been hit hard by the severing of one of Russia’s last gas export routes to Europe.

Russia had long provided free gas and had been pumping some 70 billion cubic feet of the fuel to the region per year.

That ended New Year’s Day after Ukraine, nearly three years into Russia’s full-scale invasion, refused to extend a transit deal letting Russia pump gas across its territory.

The blow was immediate.

Households’ central heating and hot water were cut off on Wednesday.

The next day the government said all industrial enterprises apart from food producers had been forced to cease production.

In the main city of Tiraspol some residents said they weren’t too bothered – yet.

“I would not say it is too cold now. I put on extra clothes, wrap in a blanket. It is okay for now. It is still warm outside.”

Residents told Reuters that people were lining up to buy electric heaters and stoves.

And that prices for essential goods – as well as blankets – had shot up since Wednesday.

Transdniestria won de facto independence from Moldova as the Soviet Union collapsed in the early 1990s…

though it is not recognized by any country and Moldova regards the region’s people as its own citizens.

Russia maintains about 1,500 troops there.

Separately from the transit dispute with Ukraine, Russia’s Gazprom said in late December it would halt supplies to Moldova on January 1 over $709 million in unpaid gas debts. Moldova disputes that and has put the debt around $9 million.

International director of the Royal United Services Institute, Jonathan Eyal, said Russia’s goal was to foment trouble between Transdniestria and the central government.

“There is no question that the Moldovan government wants to help bail out the separatists at this moment.” // “I think the objective here is to create a state of permanent friction, a state of permanent tensions, and the prelude to future Russian military interventions in the region.”

Moscow denies using gas as a weapon and blames Ukraine for the halting of deliveries.

Moldova’s prime minister said on Friday that the cutting of Russian gas to Transdniestria had created a crisis for his country.