Moldova`s President Maia Sandu said that a series of attacks in the Russia-backed breakaway region of Transdniestra have taken place, attributed to separatist factions within the territory to increase tensions. In the early morning of April 26th, two blasts occurred in the village of Maiac, Grigoriopol district: the first at 06:40 and the second at 07:05, which hit two Soviet-era radio center antenna, known as “Grigoriopol transmitter”. No casualties were reported.
Moldovan authorities are currently more sensitive to any sign of worsening security within the Transdniestria region. This sliver of land bordering southwestern Ukraine, especially in the current geopolitical chaos possesses great strategic value that could turn the tide of this brutal war, and tilt it in Russia`s favour.
The Moldovan President stated that “from the information we have at this moment, these escalation attempts stem from factions from within the Transdniestrian region who are pro-war forces and interested in destabilising the situation in the region,”. The situation is becoming drastically tense, with Russia`s TASS news agency reporting that the Transdniestria`s Security Council reported a “terrorist attack” on a military unit near the city of Tiraspol.
The Supreme Security Council of Moldova recommended improving the combat readiness of the security forces, increasing the number of patrols and checks near the Transdniestria border, and to monitor critical infrastructure more closely.
The Transdniestria region has felt the permanent presence of Russian forces since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. With the Moldovan break-away region being extremely Pro-Russia, Kyiv fears the region could be used as an additional point of Russian advancement on South-Western Ukraine.
Nonetheless the Ukrainian city of Odessa remains to be the primary objective for Russian President Vladimir Putin who seeks to gain control of the Ukrainian Black Sea coastline right before Victory Day (9th May) to truly demonstrate the effectiveness of Russia`s so-called `Special Military Operation` meant to protect the ethnic Russians.
Last week, on April 22nd, Minnekayev who`s a Senior Russian Military Official stated that Russia plans to take full control of Donbas and Southern Ukraine during the second phase of the conflict. Russian news agency TASS quoted Minnekayev saying that the control over the southern Ukraine would be another path to Transdniestria, where there is also evidence that the Russian-speaking population is being allegedly oppressed.
Ukrainian Intelligence reports that a few days ago, unrecognised Transdniestria began preparing for “explosions” organised by the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (FSB) to justify the war with Ukraine or to rope in Transdniestrian region in hostilities in the war against Ukraine. Prior to the incident, the leaders of the unrecognised Pridnestrovian Moldovian Republic (PMR) were taking measures and precautions by installing secure and comfortable bunkers.
The PMR president`s office has ordered the terrorist threat level to be raised to red, and kept on high alert. This means that the checkpoints would be set up at the entrances of the region`s towns, with all vehicles entering at night to be checked. The further rise in restrictions will indirectly impact Ukrainians by reducing the number of safe escape routes from the country, thus adding more strain on the Ukrainian government who potentially could lose leverage in negotiations. This false flag tactic, as seen in 2014 with Crimea is one of the provocative measures utilised by the FSB to create panic, anti-Ukrainian sentiment, and rally people behind the Russian Government sentiment.
ESO - European Studies Organisation 