Since the conflict against Ukraine a year ago, the Kremlin has been accused of raising tensions in Transnistria to destabilise Ukraine and Moldova. “The Kyiv regime has stepped up preparations for the invasion of the Transnistrian Moldavian Republic,” the statement said. The defence ministry claimed the “invasion” would be launched “in response to an alleged offensive by Russian troops from the territory of Transnistria”.
This comes in the backdrop of pro-Western Moldova President Maia Sandu saying that as per intelligence, there was an alleged Russian attempt to destabilise her, a concern she discussed in talks with senior EU and US officials. Sandu met US President Joe Biden in Warsaw on Wednesday, and he pledged his support for her country, said a report by Financial Times.
So what are the claims on both sides? News18 explains:
A Difficult Situation for Moldova
The crisis in Ukraine has created a difficult situation for Moldova, which has applied for EU membership but maintains a neutral defence policy, to contain long-standing tensions with Russian-backed separatists in Transnistria.
However, on Thursday, the Russian defence ministry claimed that Ukrainian troops were massing at the border with Moldova’s breakaway region. “The implementation of the planned provocation by the Ukrainian authorities poses a direct threat to the Russian peacekeeping contingent legally deployed in Transnistria,” Moscow said.
“Russia’s armed forces will respond to the impending provocation of the Ukrainian side in an adequate manner,” the statement added.
How Did Moldova React?
The government of Moldova said Thursday that “state authorities do not confirm the information released this morning by the Russian Ministry of Defence”. “We call for calm and to obtain information from official and trusted sources of the Republic of Moldova,” it said on its Telegram channel.
Moldova’s Claims Against Russia
Earlier this month, Moldovan President Maia Sandu accused Russia of plotting to violently overthrow her government through saboteurs disguised as anti-government protesters, claims that Russia denied.
Moldova’s foreign minister told Reuters on Wednesday that it was ready for a “whole spectrum of threats” from Moscow, said a report by the Guardian.
“The Kremlin’s attempts to instill violence in Moldova will fail. Our primary purpose is to ensure the safety of residents and the state. Our goal is to maintain peace and public order throughout the country,” Sandu said, as per the report.
What is Transnistria?
Transnistria is a narrow region bordering Ukraine, which separated from Moldova after a short war in 1992. Russian soldiers have been deployed there since.
Following the breakup of the Soviet Union, the largely Russian-speaking territory trapped between the Dniester River and the Ukraine border seceded from Moldova, a report by the Guardian said.
In 1992, the separatists fought a war against Moldova’s pro-Western government, which resulted in hundreds of deaths and the intervention of the Russian army on the side of the insurgents.
In a 2006 referendum that was not recognised by the international community, 97.1% of voters supported joining Russia, effectively ending Moldova’s prospects of joining the EU with Romania and other ex-communist eastern European states.
Transnistria is under the authority of pro-Russian rebels and is home to 1,500 Russian troops as well as a massive arms depot, the report said.
Meanwhile, Moldova, a poor country of 2.6 million people with a sizeable Russian minority, has taken a pro-Western turn in recent years, angering Moscow.
With inputs from AFP, Associated Press
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