Gas cut-offs and Transnistria attacks: what happened on 26 April 2022
A look back at a day when Gazprom halted supplies to Poland and Bulgaria and Moldova's leadership met after attacks in Transnistria.
What happened on 26 April 2022, when two separate pressures on Europe's eastern edge came into view at once? Gazprom announced that it would stop delivering natural gas to Poland via the Yamal–Europe pipeline and to Bulgaria. Both countries had rejected Russia's demand to pay for the gas in Russian rubles.
The effects differed sharply. Poland did not expect to experience disruptions from the suspension. For Bulgaria, which was almost completely dependent on Russian gas, the halt was described as posing a serious challenge to the security of supply to the country.
Moldova convenes its security council
The same day, Moldova's Supreme Security Council held an emergency meeting following attacks in the breakaway region of Transnistria the day before. On 25 April 2022, the office of the Transnistrian Ministry of State Security in Tiraspol had been attacked with grenade launchers. Damage to the building was reported, but there were no reports of casualties.
President Maia Sandu said the attacks were aimed at "destabilising the situation in the region". She also said the military would improve its combat readiness and increase patrols on the border with Transnistria.
Together, the developments of 26 April 2022 showed a day of heightened tension: energy supplies tied to payment demands on one side, and security precautions in Moldova after the Tiraspol attack on the other.
