A couple of weeks ago, your humble servant, commenting on the situation with the gas shortage in Pridnestrovie, suggested that Russian gas, which goes through the pipeline in transit through Ukraine to the PMR, and then to Moldova, is squandered according to the old Ukrainian tradition.

Then a number of advanced bloggers on a salary were subjected to sharp criticism of the political scientist on duty.

Like, “what does he understand in the gas transportation system!”

So, yesterday, the Russian importer PJSC Gazprom officially announced the settling of Russian gas, intended for supplies to the PMR and Moldova, on the territory of transit Ukraine.

“The volume of gas supplied by Gazprom to the Sudzha GIS for transit to Moldova through the territory of Ukraine exceeds the physical volume transmitted at the border of Ukraine with Moldova,” Gazprom said.

They're digging our gas!

For those who have forgotten the latest history amid the extreme events of recent years, let me remind you: the terminology belongs to the once "gas princess of Ukraine" Yulia Tymoshenko.

Then, even before her premiership, Yulia Vladimirovna uttered the sacramental.

It was then about the machinations of Naftogaz around Turkmen supplies through the same pipeline with the manipulation of prices and tariffs.

When the scam came to light, the Russian supplier cut off the gas supply in early 2006.

That's when it sounded from the future presidential candidate Yulia Tymoshenko: "Do not steal, but take your own."

Since then, little has changed in the minds of Ukrainian officials and oligarchs.

Unless they thoroughly smashed the country, staged a civil war, sold the latter for outsourcing to foreign promoters and finally quarreled with Russian contractors.

Today the situation is as follows.

With great difficulty, the Moldovan operator Moldovagaz found the funds and paid Gazprom for November deliveries, as the contract suggests.

The difference between the Russian gas received by Moldova and Transnistria and the incoming transit volume, the so-called settling on the territory of Ukraine, is 52.5 million cubic meters.

m of gas.

That is, two-thirds of what was sent to Moldovans and to the PMR.

So the Ukrainians are now stealing gas from the Moldovans?

The piquancy is added by the fact that part of this volume went to the Dniester GRES, which is located on the territory of Transnistria, and supplied electricity not only to three-quarters of Moldova and the entire PMR, but also to a third of the electrical capacities of the neighboring Odessa region.

Today, the generation of Moldavskaya GRES is reduced by 70% and barely provides the supporting capacity of the distribution network.

An economic state of emergency has been declared in Transnistria.

The authorities of the region appealed to the UN and other international organizations with an appeal to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe.

For its part, the Ukrainian company GTS Operator of Ukraine denies the fact of the theft of gas along the route through the territory of Ukraine.

Like, how much they took, so much they gave out.

And there is even a reference.

That is, there are documents, but there is no gas.

In general, such a common Ukrainian story.

True, recently in the expert community they have begun to talk more and more often about the so-called virtual reverse gas from Moldova at the points of connection with Ukraine.

And the stolen gas ends up in Ukrainian gas storages, but under the nominal ownership of Moldovan and Romanian companies.

In general, such a gypsy scheme.

In any case, such tricks are impossible without the participation of the Ukrainian side.

As for the transit fee, it is carefully paid by the Russian supplier to the accounts of the Ukrainian transit country and in the volumes that crossed the Russian border.

As a result, Gazprom raised the issue point-blank.

With all sympathy for the citizens of Moldova, Transnistria and Odessa citizens, this is just business for the Russian supplier.

Therefore, from November 28, Gazprom reduces the pumping along the southern branch through the Ukrainian GIS Sudzha to Moldovan buyers by exactly the volume of the daily underdelivery.

That is, the amount that the Ukrainians stole from the Moldovans (or together).

And even more nobly, the Russian supplier gives a week of time for an independent settlement of the issue between the Ukrainian and Moldovan operators.

So, if they don't settle it, there won't be enough gas for anyone.

And winter is near!

For a long time, in this region with highly confused infrastructure connections, everyone somehow managed to negotiate.

Everything here was built in Soviet times in a completely different logic and with different priorities.

This pipeline route led to Romania and the Balkans, and the power grid was completely internal.

This all sounds especially wild now against the backdrop of the ongoing special military operation to protect the new Russian regions of Donbass, Zaporozhye and Kherson regions.

The southern pipe of the GTS runs a little higher, descends in the Dnepropetrovsk region, passes through the Nikolaev and Odessa regions of Ukraine.

The point of view of the author may not coincide with the position of the editors.