‘Russia bears sole responsibility’: Moldova enforces 60-day energy emergency following Russian strikes in Ukraine

(SeaPRwire) –   On Tuesday, Moldova’s Parliament approved a state of emergency for the nation’s energy sector following Russian strikes on neighboring Ukraine’s power grid that cut a critical transmission line connecting Moldova to Romania.

Overnight strikes caused the high-voltage Isaccea-Vulcanesti line—linking southern Moldova to EU member Romania—to be disconnected. In response, Moldovan officials asked residents to use electricity “rationally” during peak times as repairs proceeded.

Seventy-two members of the 101-seat legislature backed the 60-day measure; there were no opposing votes, and 18 legislators abstained.

Moldovan Prime Minister Alexandru Munteanu stated, “What’s occurring in our energy sector today is no accident. Russia’s assaults on Ukraine’s civilian energy infrastructure are a war crime—and also an attack on us here in the Republic of Moldova … Russia alone bears responsibility for this.”

The state of emergency takes effect Wednesday. Munteanu explained it would enable authorities to “act faster: mobilize extra resources, safeguard critical infrastructure, and if needed, implement additional steps to mitigate the crisis’s impact. We stay alert and work for every citizen’s safety … This isn’t a panic measure—it’s a responsible one.”

Moldova’s Soviet-era energy networks are still linked to Ukraine’s, and the country has faced sporadic blackouts since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Energy Minister Dorin Junghietu noted repairs to the damaged line are expected to take five to seven days.

Throughout the full-scale invasion, Moscow has repeatedly struck Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure—including dams and river ports. The war’s effects have rippled into Moldova, a former Soviet state with EU candidate status, since the invasion started.

Last week, tens of thousands of Moldovans lost access to water following another Russian strike on a Ukrainian hydroelectric plant that caused oil to contaminate a major river shared by both nations.

The Ukrainian plant is located roughly 15 kilometers (9 miles) upstream from Moldova’s northern border with Ukraine and provides water to around 80% of Moldova’s 2.5 million residents. In January, Moldova—including the capital, Chisinau—faced significant power outages when a disruption to a Ukrainian power line led to a voltage drop.

On Tuesday, Moldovan President Maia Sandu directly accused Moscow, stating, “Russia continues to intentionally undermine the Republic of Moldova’s security and put our citizens’ lives at risk.”

“After the bombing of the Ukrainian hydroelectric plant … tonight, a new brutal attack disconnected the Isaccea-Vulcanesti line—which supplies 60-70% of our electricity at times,” she wrote on Facebook. “None of this is accidental; these are deliberate Russian actions to weaken Moldova and leave us in the dark.”

Russia has consistently denied attempting to destabilize Moldova.