Half of Moldova without power after Russian strikes on Ukraine - deputy PM

In a separate post on Telegram, Spuni said the situation was a repeat of Nov. 15, when Moldova also suffered blackouts after Russian missile strikes. Moldova is one of Europe's poorest countries and has the highest per-capita intake of Ukrainian refugees.

Russian missile strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure have caused blackouts across half of neighbouring Moldova, the deputy prime minister of Moldova said on Wednesday.

"Massive blackout in Moldova after today's Russian attack on Ukraine's energy infrastructure," Andrei Spuni, who also serves as infrastructure minister, said on Twitter. "Moldelectrica, TSO (transmission system operator), is working to reconnect more than 50% of the country to electricity."

Power outages were also reported in the breakaway Russian-backed region of Transdniestria, the local interior ministry said in a statement. In a separate post on Telegram, Spuni said the situation was a repeat of Nov. 15, when Moldova also suffered blackouts after Russian missile strikes.

Moldova is one of Europe's poorest countries and has the highest per-capita intake of Ukrainian refugees. It shares a border with Ukraine, a fellow ex-Soviet state, and is connected to its power grid. Both the Moldovan police force and Premier Energy, a Moldovan company that supplies electricity across the south and centre of the country, asked people to remain calm and take precautionary measures.