Moldova’s pro-European leaders have rejected Russian statements that Ukrainian forces plan to attack the pro-Russian region of Transnistria, and called for calm, the BBC writes.
Russian Defense Ministry has announced that Ukrainian saboteurs disguised themselves as Russian soldiers and plan to invade Transnistria, thereby initiating Ukraine’s invasion of the separatist region.
Moldova has been warning for several weeks that Russia wants to seize power. Officials rejected Russia’s statements and said they were attempts to influence the public. Secretary of State Valeriu Mija said:
«The defense ministry believes it is an element of a psychological operation rather than a real plan.»
During her visit to Romania, Moldovan President Maia Sandu spoke about security challenges and said the Kremlin wants to install a puppet government in Moldova.
Moldova is not a member of NATO, but in June of last year, together with Ukraine, it obtained the status of an EU candidate country. Earlier this week, Sandu also met with US President Joe Biden, who pledged to continue supporting Moldovan independence.
Moldova feels the direct impact of the war. Currently, the country is experiencing an energy crisis, as its infrastructure has not changed since the time of the USSR. Not only Russia’s decision to limit gas supplies but also its attacks on Ukraine’s energy grid made an impression. Significant inflation and the large influx of refugees from Ukraine have created additional pressure and caused a wave of protests organized by the pro-Kremlin party Sor and its leader Ilan Shor. Incidents have also been observed, which the Moldovan government has called hybrid attacks.
Sanda has accused Russia of planning a coup to overthrow the Moldovan government with the help of Russian, Serbian, Belarusian, and Montenegrin saboteurs. She stated that the goal would be to attack government buildings, take hostages, and then stage protests to replace the government with people the Kremlin likes.
The Kremlin has said Moldovan leaders are sinking into anti-Russian hysteria and warned officials to weigh what they say very carefully.
What is happening now is similar to the situation in April 2022. At the time, explosions were reported in Transnistria that separatist leaders said targeted state security headquarters, old Soviet-era radio towers, and military facilities. Transnistrian authorities blamed Ukrainian saboteurs, while Kyiv said it was the work of Russian special services.
Oleg Belyakov, who is responsible for maintaining peace in Transnistria, informed that there is no panic among the population, but Russia’s warnings have created grounds for concern.
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