Blackout in Moldova forces temporary suspension of transport at Ukraine border

Vehicle and goods movement across the border between Ukraine and Moldova has been temporarily halted.

According to the message shared by Ukraine’s State Customs Service on Telegram, the disruption was caused by a failure of the central databases of Moldova’s customs authorities.

The incident is linked to a morning voltage drop on the high-voltage Isaccea–Vulcănești–MoldGRES power line, which occurred due to serious problems in Ukraine’s energy system. As a result, several areas in Moldova were affected, including Chișinău and its suburbs, Taraclia, Cahul, and Anenii Noi.

The northern city of Bălți was particularly hard hit by the blackout. Mayor Alexandru Petkov reported partial power outages in residential high-rise buildings, non-functioning traffic lights, and major traffic congestion. Emergency services have been freeing people trapped in elevators, while the city’s electric public transport has been temporarily switched to autonomous operation.

By Tamilla Hasanova