Russian military activities have been intensifying for some time Transnistriathe region pro-Russian separatist from Moldova, with attacks that also took place near the government buildings of the capital of the Tiraspol region. In fact, between April 25 and 26, three attacks took place in the region: one on the Transnistrian Security Council building in Tiraspol, one on the Maiac radio center and another on a military unit stationed in the village of Parcani. After these events, the President of the region Vadim Krasnoselsky convened an emergency meeting to define the situation and Moldovan President Maia Sandu convened the State Security Council. Krasnoselsky has – without providing evidence – accused Ukraine of instigating the attacks, but the most accepted hypothesis is that Moscow is trying to draw Transnistria into the conflict. But what does Transnistria have to do with the war in Ukraine? Why should Putin be interested in a small patch of land in Europe’s poorest country? The reason has to do with the movements of Russian troops observed so far along the Black Sea coast, but let’s go in order.
Where is Transnistria located?
Map of Moldova with the river Nistro, east of which stretches Transnistria, before the border with Ukraine
Transnistria is a narrow strip of land east of Moldova, and its name literally means “beyond the Nistro,” the great river that separates it from the real motherland. It has an area of approximately 4,160 square kilometers or 12% of the territory of the entire Republic of Moldova. About half a million people live there, 130,000 of them in the capital Tiraspol.
history and separatism
Moldova (including Transnistria) was part of the Soviet Union. Before the collapse of the union – in 1990 – Transnistria declared its independence from Moldova as it intended to remain part of the republics of the USSR. However, the move was not recognized by Moscow. In 1991 Moldova declared its independence from the USSR and this was the casus belli that started the internal conflict in 1992 Russian forces stationed in breakaway region for official peacekeeping reasons and to protect weapons depots. The situation did not change even when President Maia Sandu called for the troops to be withdrawn. It is estimated that between 1,500 and 2,000 Russian soldiers are stationed on the territory, working alongside about 7,500 Transnistrian separatist soldiers. If you look at the referendum numbers, the mood in the region would be clearly pro-Russian: collected the latest on Moldova’s independence and annexation to Russia 97% of the votes.
Why is Transnistria important for the war?
Rustam Minnekayev, a Russian general, said that one of Putin’s goals is, along with Donbass create a corridor that runs along the entire Ukrainian Black Sea coastwhich explains the strategic importance of cities like Mariupol and Odesa. To achieve the latter, it could be very convenient for the Kremlin troops to set up a base in Transnistria, since Tiraspol is just 100 km from Odessa. In addition, taking Transnistria would mean for Putin that, after the republics of Donetsk and Lugansk, he had “liberated” another region in which there was “the oppression of the Russian-speaking population”. In fact, Russia has always been careful to support the nearby separatist areas, including, for example, South Ossetia and Abkhazia, Georgia. Transnistria leader Vadim Krasnoselsky has urged the Moldovan authorities not to respond to the provocations so as not to trigger an armed conflict, but it is clear that tensions are rising and this standoff could end.
The position of Moldova
The country has so far remained neutral and has not imposed sanctions on Russia. Moldova has also started procedures for EU annexation and has so far taken in hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian refugees, which is why Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilita he asked international support “to deal with the refugee crisis and the economic consequences for citizens”. All symbols used by the Russian army were banned from the capital, Chisinau, as they were considered provocative.
#Ukraine in Moldova. The mobilization and solidarity of our society was impressive! – Natalia Gavrilita (@natgavrilita) March 6, 2022
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