The cutoff of one of Russia's last gas export routes to Europe is being felt most acutely in a small, predominantly Russian-speaking breakaway region of Moldova that has relied on Moscow for protection for decades.

Russian-backed separatists declared independence from Moldova during the Soviet Union's collapse in the early 1990s, creating Transdniestria, a region with about 450,000 residents.

Russia has stationed around 1,500 troops there and previously supplied free gas. This support ended on New Year’s Day when Ukraine refused to extend a gas transit deal, impacting Transdniestria immediately. 

Households lost central heating and hot water, and by Thursday, all industrial enterprises except food producers had to halt production. In Tiraspol, residents acknowledged that weeks of speculation about a gas cut had become reality, with many resigned to the difficult times ahead.

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