Moldova Launches Power Line to Romania, Cuts Russian Gas Ties

Moldova switched on a new high-voltage power line linking it to Romania and the European grid on Sunday, and President Maia Sandu said the country now buys no Russian gas, according to Al Jazeera.

What line did Moldova just launch?

The line runs from Vulcanesti to Chisinau and is described by Al Jazeera as a 400-kilowatt extra-high-voltage connection. Officials unveiled it at a ceremony outside the capital on November 8. European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos attended and, in remarks reported by Al Jazeera, said Moldova can now "buy energy where it is cheapest." The project lets Moldova reduce its dependence on the Cuciurgan thermal power plant, which sits in the pro-Moscow separatist region of Transnistria, Al Jazeera reported. The outlet noted the line was dubbed the "energy independence line" and arrived two years after officials first promised it.

What has Sandu said about Russia and energy?

Sandu posted on X that Moscow "used energy to blackmail" Moldova for decades and wrote, "No more: Moldova buys zero Russian gas," according to Al Jazeera. At the inauguration, she said the project is "strengthening our electricity transmission capacity, diversifying our means of supply and reinforcing the connection of the Republic of Moldova to the European energy system." She also said, "Every time Moldova dares to choose something other than what Moscow wants, they threaten to cut our electricity."

Why is Moldova under pressure now?

Moldova, a country of 2.6 million people between Romania and Ukraine, had relied on Russian gas delivered through Transnistria and pipelines crossing Ukraine, Al Jazeera reported. Last month the country's parliament approved a state of emergency running through November 20 as the government works to ease gas shortages tied to rising global energy prices, according to the outlet. Al Jazeera reported that some officials in Europe have accused Moscow of withholding additional gas supplies to pressure the continent.

What comes next for Moldova's power grid?

Sandu said during the ceremony that "two more power lines to Romania are on the way," Al Jazeera reported, though the outlet did not detail a timeline or route for those additional connections.

How does this connect to wider tension in the Black Sea region?

Al Jazeera placed the launch alongside a string of incidents its reporting ties to Russia. Romania blamed Russia last month for a drone strike that sank a cargo ship off its Black Sea coast, killing one crew member and leaving three others missing, according to the outlet. Al Jazeera also reported that Ukraine, Romania and Bulgaria have pressed NATO to speed up a response to what they describe as renewed Russian activity in the Black Sea, though the cited report was cut off before detailing the specific request. Poland separately increased its air defense posture after what Al Jazeera described as alleged Russian provocations tied to the war in Ukraine.

Al Jazeera's report did not specify a cost for the new line or a completion date for the two additional connections Sandu mentioned.