Transnistria, what is known about the attacks and what they have to do with the Russia-Ukraine war

In the last few days the Transnistria has become a hot spot linked to the ongoing conflict between Ukraine And Russia. On April 25, explosions were recorded in the building housing the Ministry of State Security in Tiraspol, the capital of the self-proclaimed pro-Russian separatist region of Moldova, on the border with Ukraine. The attack would have occurred with shots from portable anti-tank grenade launchers. There were no casualties

WATCH THE VIDEO: Ukraine, attack in Transnistria: tension rises in Moldova

April 26 was hit the Russian radio broadcasting center. “The two most powerful antennas were destroyed. Both were used to relay Russian radio. None of the radio station employees or locals were injured,” reported the press service of the Ministry of Interior of Transnistria quoted by TASS. . A military unit near Tiraspol also hit. The authorities of the self-proclaimed government have decided to raise security measures with the “terrorism” alert to “red” level

War in Ukraine, new explosions in Transnistria: military unit and radio center hit

A government source from the pro-Russian separatist region commented that “the terrorist attack” against the Ministry of State Security in Tiraspol “was carried out by three unidentified people, who arrived from Ukrainian territory” and “other terrorist attacks are connected to this”. Kiev instead accused Moscow of wanting to “destabilize” Transnistria (in the photo the entrance of Tiraspol), while Moldovan President Maia Sandu said that the explosions are the result of internal clashes between the factions present in the separatist territory

Ukraine-Russia war, Kiev: Odessa is the “Russian dream”, it could become an enclave

The fear is now that the conflict in Ukraine could extend to the small country of Eastern Europe. Transnistria, whose self-proclaimed independence is not recognized by the international community, has separated from Moldova after a brief civil war following the collapse of the Soviet Union. The territory, with a population of about 500 thousand inhabitants, is heavily dependent on Russia, which provides free gas and has deployed 1,500 troops (in the photo a military parade in Tiraspol)

Transnistria, tensions are rising: what happened and how it affects the war in Ukraine

Until a few weeks ago, Transnistria was mainly known as tourist destination, a place capable of taking visitors back to the times of the USSR. This small strip of land between Moldova, of which it is formally part, and Ukraine, is thelast country in the world to have the hammer and sickle in the flag. And hundreds of travelers go there every year to admire the impressive Soviet architecture and the busts of Lenin that still stand out everywhere

War in Ukraine, what happens in Transnistria and why it matters

This small pro-Russian separatist republicwhose independence is not recognized even by Moscow, ended up again in the spotlight of international news last March 2, when the Belarusian president Lukashenko he showed a map that seemed to indicate the possible directions of the Russian attack on Ukraine. And to the southwest there was one that pointed to Moldova through Transnistria, which borders the Ukrainian oblast of Odessa to the east.

The Moldovan governmentin fear of being the next prey in the Kremlin’s sights, he hastened to apply for membership of the European Union. After the annexation of Crimea, the Tiraspol authorities asked instead to be incorporated by Russia, Moscow replied that it was not in the interest of the Federation

Moscow though offers substantial financial support to the area, which houses a Russian military base with 1,500 troops and, in the village of Cobasna, a depot with 22 thousand tons of ammunition, one of the largest in Eastern Europe. Moscow had sent its men as a peacekeeping force after the 1992 conflict, which lasted several months and cost over 4,000 deaths, which marked the separation from Moldova, which became independent

The contingent has remained there ever since to counterbalance Romania, A country born with a strong influence on Chisinau which, like Moscow, had trained and armed one of the two warring factions. There Transnistria could become an additional front for the conquest of the strategic port of Odessajust 104 kilometers from Tiraspol (in the photo a pro-Russian sign in the city)

Among the exercises carried out by Russia before the invasion, one – which ended on February 2 – had Transnistria as its own theater. Moscow claimed that the purpose of the maneuvers was to protect their citizens in the breakaway republic. Since 2002, the Kremlin has started issuing passports to Transnistrian residents, mostly Russian speakers. The move aroused the ire of Kiev and Chisinau (in the photo a military parade in Tiraspol)