Key facts
- Sandu said Moldova buys zero Russian gas, writing that Moscow used energy to blackmail the country for decades.
- The Vulcanesti-Chisinau line is a 400-kilowatt extra-high-voltage line spanning 158 kilometers (98 miles).
- Sandu said two more power lines to Romania are on their way.
- Moldova previously depended heavily on the Cuciurgan power station in the Russian-occupied region of Transnistria.
- The Cuciurgan plant, Moldova's largest, is owned by Moscow-based Inter RAO.
Moldova's President Maia Sandu said on November 8, 2026, that the country no longer buys Russian gas and announced the launch of a new power line linking Moldova to the European power grid through Romania. "For decades, Moscow used energy to blackmail us. No more: Moldova buys zero Russian gas," Sandu said on social media.
The Vulcanesti-Chisinau power line is a 400-kilowatt extra-high-voltage line that will span 158 kilometers (98 miles) and help Moldova integrate into Europe's energy system. Sandu said two more power lines to Romania are on their way.
The steps form part of Chisinau's efforts to deepen ties with Europe and eventually join the EU while ending its energy dependence on Moscow. Moldova previously depended heavily on the Cuciurgan power station in the Russian-occupied region of Transnistria. The plant, the largest in Moldova, is owned by Inter RAO, a Moscow-based public energy company.
The EU has moved to reduce Russian energy imports after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and is banning all Russian gas as of next year. An EU official told the Kyiv Independent that Europe is unlikely to agree to a U.S. proposal to resume Russian gas exports to Europe through a U.S. intermediary as part of peace efforts.