Chișinău bills Moscow for damaged power line
Energy Minister Dorin Junghietu said Moldova has received a bill from Ukraine for repairs to the Isaccea–Vulcănești high-voltage power line damaged at the end of March.
According to the minister, the amount claimed by Ukrainian grid operator Ukrenergo totals around 500,000 lei. Chișinăunow intends to pass the bill on to Russia.
For now, however, the cost is being covered by Moldovan consumers.
“We received the invoice from our colleagues at Ukrenergo. The costs amount to around 20 thousand dollars, which is equivalent to approximately 500 thousand lei,” Junghietu said.
Under the government’s logic, responsibility lies with Russia.
“They attacked the line, they damaged our infrastructure,” the minister stated.
The documents are expected to be forwarded to the Foreign Ministry before being formally sent to Moscow.
Moldovan consumers pay first
There is, however, a practical complication. Regardless of whether Russia responds to the demand or even acknowledges it the money has already been allocated.
The funds came from state-owned grid operator Moldelectrica, using its own resources. In practice, those costs are built into electricity tariffs, meaning Moldovan consumers will ultimately foot the bill.
Junghietu admitted that reimbursement remains uncertain, saying authorities would “see later” how the costs might eventually be recovered.
In Moscow, the move has already drawn criticism. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova described the situation as a familiar pattern.
According to Zakharova, Chișinău accused Russia without presenting evidence, while Moldovan media later reported that the outage may have been caused by a short circuit. She also accused the Moldovan authorities of using such incidents to prolong emergency measures and tighten pressure on the opposition and independent media.
Power line damage sparks political dispute
The sum involved is relatively modest for the state budget, but the broader approach has attracted attention.
On March 23, the Isaccea–Vulcănești line, which supplied up to 70% of electricity to Moldova’s right bank – broke down. Chișinău immediately blamed Russia.
The following day, authorities introduced a state of emergency in the energy sector.
Later, officials acknowledged that the disruption had indeed been linked to attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure near the line. Within days, however, the power connection was restored.
The emergency regime was eventually lifted and replaced with a “state of heightened alert,” which remains in force.
The repair work was carried out by Ukraine, since the damaged transmission tower is located on Ukrainian territory. Moldova is paying because the line itself belongs to the Moldovan side.
Compensation demands face skepticism
Junghietu’s remarks triggered criticism not only in Russia, but also inside Moldova, where opposition figures and analysts pointed to inconsistencies in the government’s handling of economic disputes.
Economic expert and former deputy prime minister Alexander Muravschi, commenting on earlier statements by Junghietu, accused the minister of manipulating information.
“This is complete nonsense. The minister is deliberately manipulating the data, trying to mix together two entirely different debts,” Muravschi said.
For now, the government’s rhetoric remains uncompromising. Deputy Prime Minister Mihai Popșoi said back in March that the damage was “significant and cannot be ignored.” The Foreign Ministry is now preparing a diplomatic note demanding compensation.
Still, previous disputes between Chișinău and Moscow have produced limited results. Long-running gas debt disagreements remain unresolved, with both sides effectively leaving the issue frozen amid broader political tensions.
