Russian bombardment of Ukraine disrupts Moldova's power grid
Photo: Moldovan authorities are asking residents to conserve electricity due to Russian strikes (Getty Images)
On the evening of March 23, a cross-border power line connecting the power grids of Moldova and Romania went offline due to Russian strikes on Ukraine. The situation remains unstable, according to Moldovan President Maia Sandu.
Background
Shortly after 7 p.m., the Isaccea–Vulcănești line, a critical component of the regional power grid, went offline. This is confirmed by data from Moldelectrica (the transmission grid operator in Moldova).
"As a result of strikes on critical infrastructure of Ukraine, there is a risk of damage to the Isaccea-Vulcănești line, which is a vital component of the regional and national power grid," reports Moldova’s National Crisis Management Center.
President Maia Sandu confirms the consequences of the Russian attack.
"Russia’s strikes on civilian energy infrastructure in Ukraine are a war crime — and an attack on all of us. Overnight strikes disconnected Moldova’s key power link with Europe. Alternative routes are in place, but the situation remains fragile. Russia alone bears responsibility," she writes on X.
Chisinau Mayor Ion Ceban also urges residents to conserve electricity and condemns Russia’s aggression.
Prime Minister Alexandru Munteanu states on X that the power line outage has jeopardized Moldova’s energy stability.
"Following Russia’s overnight strikes on energy infrastructure in Ukraine, the Isaccea–Vulcănești power line has been disconnected - once again putting Moldova’s energy stability at risk. Alternative supply routes are in place to prevent outages but the situation remains fragile," he says.
This is not the first disruption in Moldova’s power grid due to the situation in Ukraine.
In late January, the country experienced a partial blackout due to Russian attacks. At that time, a voltage drop was recorded on the 400 kV Isaccea–Vulcănești-MDRES line, which triggered an emergency outage.
After that, rumors began circulating online that if the power went out in a neighboring country following the Russian strikes on Ukraine, it meant Ukraine was allegedly selling electricity abroad. DTEK refuted these claims and explained what was actually happening.
