During Russian-Moldovan negotiations in St. Petersburg on
Nov. 25, a new delivery route was discussed—bypassing Ukraine via Türkiye.
However, this alternative route also crosses Ukrainian territory, which may create
new transit difficulties, experts warn, according to Russian media.
Gazprom intends to maintain gas supplies to Transnistria at
the current level of about 5.7 million cubic meters per day in 2025.
The talks also considered the possibility of continuing
exports via the usual route through Ukraine, but with gas being delivered at
the country’s border, after which the buyer would independently cover the
transit costs. Another option discussed was supplying Russian gas to
Transnistria via Türkiye.
However, neither Gazprom nor Moldova have held talks with
the operator of the Ukrainian gas transportation system regarding the use of
its capacities.
Moldova receives Russian gas via Ukraine, but with the
expiration of the transit contract on Jan. 1, 2025, supplies could cease
entirely. Historically, the gas supply contract for Moldova included deliveries
to the right bank of the Dniester and to Transnistria on the left bank, where
the powerful Moldovan DRES (2.5 GW, owned by Inter RAO) is located, providing electricity,
including to Moldova.
In October 2021, Gazprom and Moldovagaz signed a five-year
contract to supply 3.3 billion cubic meters of gas annually. However, by the
end of 2022, the Russian monopoly halved its deliveries to Moldova, citing the
blockade of one of the two entry points into the export pipeline by Ukraine.
Currently, about 5.7 million cubic meters of gas per day are
being transited via Ukraine from Russia, compared to the contracted 9 million
cubic meters. This volume is entirely directed to Transnistria, while Chișinău
buys gas from the European market via the pipeline from Romania
(Iași-Ungheni-Chișinău).
The Moldovan government refuses to recognize the historical
debt for gas deliveries, which Gazprom estimated at $709 million during the
2021 negotiations.
Earlier, it was reported that Ukraine and Gazprom signed an
agreement on the transit of Russian gas to Europe at the end of 2019. The
contract is valid until Dec. 31, 2024, under the “take or pay” formula. Gazprom
is obligated to pay for the transit of no less than 40 billion cubic meters
through Ukraine’s gas transport system in 2021–2024, regardless of the actual
gas volumes delivered.
In July 2024, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
announced that Ukraine was in talks to supply gas from Azerbaijan to the EU.
At the same time, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev stated
that Ukraine and the European Union approached Azerbaijan with a proposal to
establish natural gas supplies to Europe via Ukraine after the current transit
contract with Russia expires at the end of 2024.
Naftogaz confirmed that there is a country ready to ensure
gas transit through Ukraine.
In August 2024, Naftogaz confirmed that there is a company
ready to ensure gas transit through Ukraine. This was stated by
Naftogaz-Ukraine CEO Oleksiy Chernyshov, who noted that SOCAR, as a producer,
could offer its gas.