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Moldova’s Moscow-backed separatist region of Transnistria extended its state of emergency today for another month as it grapples with an energy crisis after losing access to Russian gas supplies that had propped up its economy for decades.

Russia’s Gazprom suspended gas exports to Transnistria on 1 January, citing unpaid Moldovan debts of $709m (£580m).

Moldova disputes that debt and says Moscow is engineering a crisis to undermine its pro-Western government.

Russia used to supply gas to Transnistria via Ukraine and Moscow blames the crisis on Kyiv, which refused to roll over a gas transit deal that expired on 31 December due to Russia’s invasion.

Moldova, which supports Ukraine, says Moscow could use an alternative route to continue supplies.

Residents and businesses in Transnistria, which broke away from Moldova in the final days of Soviet rule and has long relied exclusively on Russian gas, have since faced gas cut-offs, rolling power cuts and problems with water supplies.

The separatist authorities said on Telegram that residents would have five hours of power cuts today and that the state of emergency would be in place until at least 8 February.

Thanks for following today’s updates.

Before we go, here’s a recap of the key developments today: 

• The Kremlin indicates it is open to talks between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump, after the US president-elect said a meeting was being set up;
• A report suggests Russian elites and senior Moscow officials are becoming frustrated over Putin’s approach to the war in Ukraine;
• Ukraine’s army hit a supermarket in the Russian-held city of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine this morning, a senior Russian-backed official said;
• Russia attacked Ukraine with 72 drones overnight, with large explosions pictured over Kyiv and a number of buildings damaged.