Moscow blames Ukraine and Moldova for halting supplies; Chisinau suspects Russia seeks to influence upcoming election.

Russia denies using gas as a weapon to coerce Moldova, and blames Kyiv for refusing to renew a gas-transit deal.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has accused Russia of using "gas as a weapon" and waging a "hybrid war" in Moldova, where the breakaway region of Transnistria has been without Russian gas sinc 1.

Moldova provides energy aid to Transdniester as the breakaway region faces a gas cutoff amid a dispute between Russia and Ukraine.

The end of Russian natural-gas transit across Ukraine is a blow to Moscow, but it could provide the Kremlin with sharpened tool for economic and political influence over a key target country: Moldova.

Authorities in Moldova's separatist Transdniestria region on Sunday cut off gas supplies to several state institutions as a deal allowing Russian gas to transit through Ukraine comes to an end at the close of the year.

In the first trading day after Ukraine ceased the flow of Russian gas and oil, benchmark natural gas prices in Europe surged 4%.

Moldova's foreign ministry has summoned a representative from Russia's embassy to address concerns over spreading misinformation regarding its energy situation. The misinformation arose after the expiration of a gas import deal with Ukraine.

Russian Gazprom's decision to halt gas supplies to Moldova resulted in a heating outage in the Russian-controlled region of Transnistria, prompting Chisinau to seek alternative sources of electricity.

Moldova’s Transnistria region has been thrust into an energy crisis following the termination of a gas transit agreement between Russia and Ukraine.

The tiny separatist republic bordering Ukraine has been unable to provide heating and hot water to residents since New Year’s Day, when Russia’s Gazprom turned off the spigot over a financial dispute