The Moldovan government will discuss with Ukrainian officials the possibility of signing a long-term contract for the supply of natural gas, Moldovan Prime Minister Vasile Tofan said on the eve of his visit to Kyiv.
“Until now, there has been a moratorium on gas exports from Ukraine. Very recently, an initiative was launched to lift this moratorium, as Ukraine also needs budget revenue. Indeed, the country has a certain surplus of gas. It is produced in two regions: Poltava and Ivano-Frankivsk. The volumes available for export are not very large. I’ve heard figures of around 500 million cubic meters of gas, which is roughly the amount we’ll need during the gas year on the regulated market,” said Tofan, as quoted by the state agency “Moldpres.”
According to him, this issue will be discussed during his visit to Kyiv, which is planned for the near future.
The prime minister expects Kyiv to offer Chisinau a competitive price for gas if a long-term contract—for 3 to 5 years—is signed. “We need to understand that Ukraine will sell this gas at market price. The cost can be reduced through an agreement that provides for a longer purchase term. If we buy gas for immediate consumption, we pay the market price or a price close to it. However, Ukrainian gas could be cheaper because our transportation costs will be lower. If we manage to negotiate the terms and conclude an agreement for a longer purchase period—three, four, or five years—by offering them a purchase guarantee, then the price could indeed be lower,” Tofan noted.
On October 7, the Ukrainian government approved the partial resumption of natural gas exports, which had been suspended in 2022. According to the decision of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, private producers will be able to export up to 15% of the volume of gas produced in the previous month. This mechanism will not apply to state-controlled companies and is intended to allow private producers to sell gas to foreign markets under regulated conditions.
As previously reported, Moldova entered another round of the energy crisis in August and September, causing domestic gas tariffs to rise 1.7-fold over two months; the country is also facing a sharp increase in the cost of imported petroleum products. A state of emergency in the energy sector has been in effect in Moldova since September 26.
In September, the Moldovan prime minister repeatedly stated the need to conclude long-term direct contracts for gas imports with producers, as opposed to exchange-traded forward contracts on the TTF hub in the Netherlands, under which gas has been supplied to Moldova since 2022. In particular, Tofan initiated negotiations on gas imports from the United States, Qatar, Azerbaijan, and Turkmenistan. He also stated that Moldova plans to conclude direct contracts for gas supplies in 2027 from Romania, specifically from the Neptun Deep field in the Black Sea.
The intensification of Russian attacks on Ukraine threatens to trigger a humanitarian crisis as winter approaches, as attacks on cities and critical infrastructure could leave millions of people without electricity, heating, and water, said Khaled Khiairi, the UN Assistant Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, during a UN Security Council meeting, noting that Russian attacks have reached “a new horrific level.”
According to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), more than 100 civilians were killed and at least 429 were injured in Ukraine over the course of the week as a result of Russian strikes.
Hiari noted that strikes on bridges, educational institutions, and energy infrastructure are causing disruptions to electricity and water supplies, while prolonged air raid alerts are intensifying the psychological pressure on the civilian population. He called for an immediate halt to attacks on energy facilities and populated areas.
“All attacks directed against the civilian population and civilian infrastructure, wherever they occur, constitute a violation of international humanitarian law and must cease immediately,” the UN representative stated.
During the meeting, Gemma Connell, Director of the Crisis Response Division at the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, speaking on behalf of UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Tom Fletcher, announced a $358 million winter response plan. It aims to assist 2 million of the most vulnerable people by providing heating, shelter, and food.
“No amount of preparedness can replace the protection of the infrastructure on which the civilian population depends,” Connell emphasized, calling for the protection of civilians, unimpeded humanitarian access, safe evacuation, and the safety of humanitarian personnel.
Ukraine’s representative to the UN, Andriy Melnyk, stated at the meeting that Russian attacks on the civilian population have reached an unprecedented level of brutality. According to him, UN observers confirmed the deaths of 2,222 civilians and injuries to more than 13,000 people in Ukraine in 2026. He also mentioned strikes on the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and on bridges that provide civilians with access to hospitals, food, and safe places.
Stavros Lambrinidis, Head of the European Union Delegation to the UN, warned that attacks on Black Sea ports threaten global food security. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), wheat prices rose by 6.3% in September.
Chiari also drew attention to incidents involving drones near Moldova and attacks on commercial vessels in the Black Sea. Separately, he reported that in the occupied town of Oleshky, according to available information, approximately 2,000 civilians, including 35 children, remain trapped without food or medical supplies. An urgent local ceasefire is necessary for their evacuation.
Azerbaijan has sent Ukraine another shipment of humanitarian aid in the form of energy equipment needed to restore and maintain the power grid during the heating season, according to the Embassy of Ukraine in the Republic of Azerbaijan.
The shipment includes high-capacity transformers, 186 km of electrical cables, and other equipment for restoring the energy infrastructure.
In total, the cargo will be delivered to Ukraine by ten heavy-duty trucks.
Yuriy Gusev, Ukraine’s Ambassador to Azerbaijan, thanked Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, the country’s government, and the Azerbaijani people for their support of Ukraine.
“This aid is a practical demonstration of solidarity and the Ukrainian-Azerbaijani strategic partnership, as well as a significant contribution to strengthening the resilience of our power grid amid ongoing full-scale Russian aggression,” Gusev stated.
According to him, the equipment is particularly important for Ukraine in the run-up to and during the heating season.
Azerbaijan has previously sent humanitarian aid to Ukraine on multiple occasions, including equipment to restore energy infrastructure damaged as a result of hostilities.
AZERBAIJAN, ENERGY, HEATING SEASON, HUMANITARIAN AID, UKRAINE
India has proposed a three-part ceasefire plan to Ukraine and Russia that calls for an end to attacks on energy and other infrastructure, the assurance of uninterrupted exports of grain and energy resources through the Black Sea, and a halt to attacks on commercial vessels.
This was reported on October 7 by the Hindustan Times, citing sources familiar with the proposal. The full text of the Indian initiative has not yet been made public.
According to the publication, the first point calls for a halt to attacks on energy facilities and other critical infrastructure.
The second concerns ensuring the unimpeded passage of grain and energy resources through Black Sea ports.
The third calls for a halt to attacks on commercial shipping in the Black Sea.
According to the Hindustan Times, the proposal was presented to Ukrainian leaders during a visit by Indian Foreign Minister Subramanyam Jaishankar to Kyiv on September 3. He discussed the initiative in separate meetings with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga.
The Indian initiative combines elements of several other proposals for a partial ceasefire. According to the publication, Egypt and Turkey proposed focusing on the safety of commercial shipping and grain exports through the Black Sea, while the U.S. proposal primarily concerned a halt to attacks on energy infrastructure.
On October 2, Sybiga confirmed that Ukraine had received ceasefire proposals from India, Turkey, Egypt, and the U.S., and described the Indian proposal as the most comprehensive. He noted that Kyiv is ready to consider various formats of a ceasefire, including an energy and Black Sea ceasefire, provided it also extends to port infrastructure.
On October 4, Indian Foreign Minister Jaishankar also publicly confirmed that New Delhi had shifted in recent months from general calls for peace to direct consultations with Moscow and Kyiv. According to him, the Indian side is discussing the safety of shipping in the Black Sea, the export of grain and energy resources, as well as the possibility of a mutual renunciation of certain types of attacks.
One of the motivations behind the Indian initiative is New Delhi’s interest in the stability of energy supplies and the security of maritime transport. According to the Hindustan Times, nearly 30% of Russian energy supplies to India pass through Black Sea ports. In recent weeks, attacks on commercial vessels have led to supply disruptions and rising freight costs.
In addition, five Indian sailors have been killed in attacks on merchant ships in the region over the past few weeks, prompting Indian authorities to repeatedly call for an end to attacks on civilian shipping.
Russia and Ukraine have not yet officially announced their direct responses to all three points of the Indian plan. The Hindustan Times reports on ongoing contacts between the parties, though details of these talks have not been disclosed.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry previously stated that Kyiv is ready for a complete and unconditional ceasefire, as well as for separate agreements to halt attacks on energy and food infrastructure.
More than two-thirds of Ukrainians planning to buy an apartment pay attention to the availability of a backup power supply and independent heating, according to the results of a survey by “OLX Real Estate.”
According to the study, 68% of potential buyers consider a backup power supply in case of power outages to be important, compared to 49% in 2025. Thus, over the course of a year, the share of buyers paying attention to a home’s energy independence has risen by 19 percentage points. The availability of autonomous heating is also important to 68% of respondents.
“Energy sustainability has effectively become on par with many ‘traditional’ characteristics of an apartment or house,” notes the OLX report.
At the same time, the main criterion when buying an apartment remains its cost—82% of respondents cited price as important. In second place is the total area of the home—79%.
The number of rooms and the city neighborhood are considered by 77% of potential buyers each. A good floor plan or renovation, as well as the property’s stage of completion, are important to 76% of respondents; infrastructure and the building’s exterior are important to 73%; and the floor level is important to 72%.
At the same time, the war has significantly changed Ukrainians’ security requirements for real estate. 67% of potential buyers consider the distance from strategic facilities, and the presence of a shelter directly in the building is important to 60%.
At the same time, traditional advantages of a property’s location are less important. Proximity to the metro was cited as important by 46% of respondents, and a location near the city center by 45%.
The main reason for purchasing real estate remains the desire to improve current living conditions—47% of respondents cited this as their motivation. Another 42% want to acquire their own private space, 23% plan to move into a more spacious home, 20% view the purchase as a way to improve their standard of living, and 11% want to change the neighborhood where they live.
The investment component remains significant, though it takes a back seat to purchasing a home for personal use. Twenty-eight percent of potential buyers view real estate as an investment. Specifically, 19% expect to generate income in the future by renting out the property or reselling it.
Thus, the survey results indicate a shift in Ukrainian buyers’ priorities: alongside price, square footage, and location, a property’s ability to function during power outages and its level of security are becoming increasingly important.
According to OLX, attitudes toward backup power have changed particularly noticeably: while in 2025 approximately one in two potential buyers considered this factor, by 2026 the figure had risen to more than two-thirds.
Source: “OLX Real Estate” study.
More than 2 million consumers are already receiving new offers from suppliers for the 2026–2027 heating season. The stated price of gas is about 34 bani per kWh—approximately 20% higher than in the previous season.
The heating season will run from November 1, 2026, to March 31, 2027. At the same time, the final amount on bills will depend not only on the established tariff cap but also on the actual cost of gas purchased by suppliers for storage and additional deliveries during the winter.
Gas prices on the European market currently remain high. As a result, energy experts are warning of the risk of a significant increase in heating costs, especially for large buildings and high-consumption businesses.
Rising gas prices may also affect the prices of goods and services, as businesses factor higher heating and energy costs into their budgets.
