Russia says it will protect its citizens in Moldova's Transdniestria

Russia will protect its citizens and peacekeepers in Moldova's separatist Transdniestria region, foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday.

Zakharova was speaking as the separatist enclave's parliament appealed to Moscow for help resolving disruptions in natural gas supply linked to the expiry at the end of December of an agreement allowing Russian gas to transit through Ukraine.

"Russia will react adequately to any provocations and will ensure the protection of its citizens, peacekeeping contingent, servicemen of the task force of Russian troops and military warehouses in the settlement of Kolbasna in Transdniestria," Zakharova told a briefing.

Any actions that threaten them would be considered by Moscow as an attack on Russia, she added.

Breakaway pro-Russian Transdniestria has existed generally peacefully side by side with Moldova since a brief post-Soviet war in 1992 and some 1,500 Russian "peacekeepers" remain in the country.

But Moldova's pro-European leaders accuse Moscow of "gas blackmail" in trying to destabilise it.

Both Moldova and Transdniestria have declared states of emergency over the threat of a disruption of gas supplies passing through Ukraine.

The speaker of Transdniestria's parliament, Alexander Korshunov, said the appeal was sent to the Kremlin and to both houses of Russia's parliament to clinch a new accord ensuring further supplies of Russian gas through Ukraine. Moldova's government, he said, also had to act to secure a deal.

"We are waiting," local media quoted him as saying. "Matters here do not depend on Transdniestria."

Ukraine has said it will not extend the transit deal.

Moldova has held discussions with Russian state gas company Gazprom on securing Russian gas and suggested supplies could be shipped through Turkey, Bulgaria and Romania. No deal has been reached.

Moldova sees the supplies as vital to guard against a humanitarian emergency in Transdniestria and to ensure continued operation in the enclave of a thermal plant that provides most of the electricity in areas of Moldova under government control.

The central government this week rejected a proposal by Transdniestria to issue a joint appeal to Moscow, saying that such a move would amount to de facto recognition of the separatist enclave. It has no international recognition.

Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean, speaking on television on Wednesday, said authorities would consider supplying Transdniestria with gas purchased from elsewhere, but that would prove more costly.