The head of Moldova’s breakaway region Transnistria has urged residents to burn firewood for heating and warned that blackouts cannot be avoided, after Moscow stopped supplying gas via Ukraine.

The European Commission is aware of the energy crisis in Transnistria following the halt of Russian gas supplies and is in regular contact with Moldova to address the issue, Anna-Kaisa Ikonen said. Read also: Moldova secures increased electricity import quota from EU amid gas supply risks “We are aware of the seriousness of the situation and are

A renegade part of Moldova once boasted it would become a Russian-speaking Switzerland. Now without gas, its leader assured residents, “We will not allow a societal collapse.”