“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.

By around 3.35pm, power was restored in the capital Chisinau, according to a Reuters journalist.

Electricity outages were also reported in the breakaway Russian-backed region of Transdniestria, the local interior ministry said in a statement.

Power was later restored in Tiraspol, the capital of the region.

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.

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.