The head of Moldova’s breakaway region Transnistria has urged residents to burn firewood for heating and warned that blackouts cannot be avoided, after Moscow stopped supplying gas via Ukraine.

Russia denies using gas as a weapon to coerce Moldova, and blames Kyiv for refusing to renew a gas-transit deal.

More than 51,000 households were left without gas and 1,500 apartment buildings had no winter heat in Moldova's pro-Russian separatist enclave, authorities said on Monday, as Moldova and Russia traded blame for an escalating energy crisis.

The end of Russian natural-gas transit across Ukraine is a blow to Moscow, but it could provide the Kremlin with sharpened tool for economic and political influence over a key target country: Moldova.

It comes after Ukraine said it was behind a drone strike on a Russian oil base in the region. Submit your questions for our correspondents in the box below.

Moscow breakaway region of Transnistria halted almost all industrial activity except for food production, following the end of Russian gas flows through Ukraine, Interfax reported.

"We are ready to assist Moldova, including with coal supplies," Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address after discussing the crisis with Sandu by telephone. Sandu, in a statement issued on the presidential website,

Moldova provides energy aid to Transdniester as the breakaway region faces a gas cutoff amid a dispute between Russia and Ukraine.

Moldova's foreign ministry has summoned a representative from Russia's embassy to address concerns over spreading misinformation regarding its energy situation. The misinformation arose after the expiration of a gas import deal with Ukraine.

Russia halted gas deliveries to the pro- Russia separatist region of Transnistria in Moldova on January 1. The people there are now really feeling the cold.The first week of the new year has been cold in Moldova.