The Kremlin has again warned of an escalation in Moldova’s pro-Russian Transnistria region. The Ukrainian army is preparing an invasion, it said. Russian troops (currently 1,500) have been stationed in the area on the border with Ukraine since the 1990s.
The Russian army will defend the Russians in the area, the Russian “peacekeepers”, the depot in Cobasna and its guards, the foreign ministry in Moscow said. “Any action that threatens their security will be considered an attack against the Russian Federation under international law,” it said. The country’s own armed forces would “respond appropriately”. According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, Ukrainian weapons and soldiers are already on the border between Moldova and Ukraine.
Government denies reports
On Thursday there was also talk of possible action from the Ukrainian side, without any evidence. Both times, the Moldovan government denied the reports. There are no “threats to military security” from Transnistria, it said. “The Department of Defense monitors all events, occurrences and changes in the region.” Citizens should remain calm and seek information only from official sources. The misinformation being spread by Moscow is designed to sow panic and confusion.
About 500,000 people live in Transnistria – part Ukrainian, part Russian and Moldovan. The area controlled by pro-Russian separatists has its own government and administration. About 2.6 million people live in Moldova. The country, which was part of the Soviet Union until 1991, still has a Russian minority. There has been a pro-Western turn in recent years, which has enraged the Russian government. Moldova was granted candidate status for EU accession last year.
Since the start of the war in Ukraine, Western countries have feared that the Russian military could attack Moldova as their next target. Just a few days ago, Moldovan President Maia Sandu accused Russia of going ahead with a concrete coup d’état plan. The Kremlin had denied the accusation.
Source: Krone
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