The Operational Headquarters on Energy Issues, 06.01.2025

The Operational Headquarters meeting on Energy Issues was held on January 6 in video conference mode, chaired by the PMR President Vadim Krasnoselsky. The meeting was attended by Chairman of the Supreme Council of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic Alexander Korshunov and members of parliament.

As of January 6, 122 settlements have been completely disconnected from gas supply. There are 51507 subscribers in rural areas without gas, more than 20 thousand are private households in cities, 1.8 thousand legal entities and entrepreneurs. Gas is supplied to multi-story buildings in limited quantities – exclusively for cooking. Gas stoves can be used in 118588 apartments. In addition, gas is currently available to 17 social facilities, 79 retail establishments, and a hundred catering establishments. The Government chairman said that the possibility of uniformly providing gas to the entire republic is being worked out (it was announced earlier that the north would be provided with gas until January 10, and the southern regions – until the January 20).

Regarding heat supply: centralized supply has been cut off in 1565 residential buildings, 147 kindergartens, and 131 schools. Taking into consideration the launch of the rolling blackout system, it is not possible to conduct the educational process remotely. It was proposed in this regard to extend the school holidays. The date has been set at January 19. 

The meeting participants discussing the rolling blackouts recalled that the republic is territorially divided into 16 groups. Four groups are disconnected every four hours currently. The duration of the shutdown is 4 hours. Voltage surges are large with such a large number of blocks. It is proposed in order to soften the moments of resumption of electricity supply to change groups not after 4, but after two hours, while maintaining a four-hour period of power outage. That is, the number of groups in a block will be smaller, and the groups will be changed every two hours. It was said at the meeting that the number of electrical appliances in use has increased by 48 thousand units. The system, created in the Soviet period taking into account the needs of that time, is not coping. The employees of the Unified Energy System have replaced 1779 faulty fuses and 169 circuit breakers in just a few days. Eight transformer substations have been replaced with more powerful ones. Citizens are strongly encouraged to use equipment and machinery selectively. Another extremely important aspect: when the power supply is restored, the appliances must be disconnected from the network. Failure to comply with this simple requirement leads to a sharp voltage surge. The result is at least a hundred emergency situations per day. It is their elimination that leads to the fact that the period of absence of light in houses increases. Power engineers work non-stop. Up to two dozen additional teams work every day. Considering the convenience of using electric heaters, the meeting participants emphasized that citizens are not yet as active as they could be in using firewood for heating. At the same time, there is a supply of solid fuel and it is constantly replenished.

Deputy Head of the Operational Headquarters for Energy Supply Vitaly Neagu reported that the single hotline received 3501 calls, 934 of which were about firewood. The number of questions related to electricity supply has increased sharply with the launch of the rolling blackout system. The flurry of calls forced an increase in the number of employees employed at the call center: two specialists from the Unified Distribution Grids were involved in information and consulting work.

30 heating and temporary stay points have been deployed in the republic as before. The total capacity is 1325 places. 50 citizens used it.

15 reports of fires were received during the first week of the new year. Four citizens were injured in the fires, two pensioners died. Employees of the Emergency Situations Department are conducting raids. They involve 90 employees who visited 919 addresses and checked the condition of 615 heating devices. As for the crime situation in the republic: 66 offenses were registered in five days: 14 thefts, 2 cases of illegal possession of weapons and ammunition, 7 hooliganism, 6 cases of causing bodily harm, 9 cases of destruction or damage to property, one threat to kill, the Minister of Internal Affairs reported. 212 citizens were delivered to territorial departments of internal affairs. 33 technical accidents and two road accidents occurred, in which two citizens were injured. 11 drivers were detained for driving a vehicle while intoxicated. Two cases of illegal felling of trees were recorded (in Dubossary and Bendery).

Vitaly Neagu reported that the Ministry of Internal Affairs has prepared a list of streets and road sections recommended for maintaining street lighting in the evening, and in some places at night, to ensure traffic safety. The list includes 62 objects. Information was voiced during the meeting of the Operational Headquarters that field kitchens will be deployed near nine churches in Tiraspol, Bendery, Dnestrovsk, Dubossary and Rybnitsa on Christmas night on the recommendation of the President. Public order protection will be strengthened near all churches of the republic.

The President in the course of the Operational Headquarters meeting on energy issues asked about the functioning of healthcare institutions. The work was structured to cover the population with medical services as much as possible. More than 1400 patients are undergoing treatment in the republic's hospitals, said Kristina Albul. The ambulance service responded to 1878 calls this year. Outpatient care was provided in state healthcare institutions to about 3,300 citizens. In addition, the Tiramed medical center received about three hundred visitors and dental services received 350 patients. Patients from Rybnitsa visited the hospital in Kamenka, and those from Dubossary the hospital in Grigoriopol. Citizens have no complaints. Emergency and intensive care units operate in Rybnitsa and Dubossary for emergency cases, and are ready to provide assistance on the spot in emergency cases. The minister said that emergency births were accepted, babies were delivered in recent days. Heating and food in medical institutions are normal.

There are 1198 people in institutions under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Social Protection and Labor. Reorganization was carried out during the State of Emergency and if necessary the place of stay of the wards was changed. Everyone is in comfortable conditions. The minister said that in those institutions that were affected by the rolling blackout, the employees understand the situation and take measures to minimize the discomfort of the wards and wards. For example, kitchen workers in one of the institutions started their work today at 4 a.m. to prepare breakfast for the children before the scheduled power cut at 8 a.m.

Reports on the state of affairs in other departments, as well as in cities and the district were voiced by ministers and heads of state administrations. They discussed general and specific problems and ways to solve it.

The next Operational Headquarters meeting on energy issues is scheduled for January 10. The President will hold a meeting of the PMR Security Council on January 8.