In brief: Moldova plans to impose a 5-year travel ban on Transnistria’s de facto leader Krasnoselsky after his Moscow visit, where Putin awarded him the Order of Honor. Chisinau called the trip a Russian provocation against Moldova’s EU integration, while noting that his visit was pertained to winter gas supplies.
Moldovan authorities plan to impose a five-year travel ban on Vadim Krasnoselsky, the de facto leader of the Russian-backed Transnistrian region, following his return from Moscow, the Bureau for Reintegration said on Thursday, Nov. 5.
The announcement, quoted by Moldovan Newsmaker, came a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin awarded Krasnoselsky the Order of Honor during a ceremony in Moscow.
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“This is a provocation by Russia aimed at hindering Moldova’s European integration,” the Bureau said, adding that it would consider possible countermeasures “without escalating the situation.”
The agency described Russia’s efforts to destabilize Moldova as persistent and said restrictive measures, including a five-year ban on Krasnoselsky leaving the country, would be introduced after his return.
At the same time, the Bureau said Krasnoselsky’s visit to Russia took place amid discussions facilitated by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) over natural gas supplies to Transnistria for the winter.
It stressed that the OSCE’s involvement was important not only for securing gas for residents on the left bank of the Dniester River but also for preventing tensions, building trust between the two banks, and advancing the region’s eventual reintegration into Moldova.
Putin presented Krasnoselsky with the Order of Honor on Wednesday, Nov. 4, saying it recognized his efforts to strengthen ties with Russia and develop the region despite what Moscow described as external pressure.
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Krasnoselsky’s second term as Transnistria’s de facto leader ends in December 2026. Chisinau does not recognize the region’s leadership elections.
Among those seeking to succeed him are Vitaly Nyagu, head of the Tiraspol executive committee, and local de facto lawmaker Vadim Kravchuk, whose Moldovan citizenship was previously revoked by President Maia Sandu.
Earlier, Krasnoselsky traveled to Moscow in mid-January 2025 to discuss the breakaway region’s energy crisis, according to local media reports at the time.
The visit came after Russia halted gas supplies to Moldova on Jan. 1, 2025, leaving residents in Transnistria without heating and hot water.
The region, which relies heavily on Russian financial support, faced severe energy shortages as temperatures dropped below freezing. Residents turned to firewood and electric heaters, while authorities introduced rolling five-hour power cuts to manage surging demand. The crisis also brought much of Transnistria’s industry to a halt, leaving tens of thousands of people without jobs.
Transnistrian officials said they were counting on Moscow to help resolve the crisis, claiming they had received no concrete support offers from Moldova or the EU.
Moscow blamed Moldova and Ukraine for the crisis, citing alleged unpaid debts and the end of Russian gas transit through Ukraine. Chisinau and the EU rejected Moscow’s position, with Moldova saying Gazprom had exaggerated the debt dispute and that gas could still reach Transnistria through an alternative route via the Balkans.
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