The leaflets were secretly distributed to recruit Moldovan soldiers in Transnistria
Word of mouth from recruiters flows into chats only for supporters of the Moscow cause. Or printed hand in hand with flyers and neatly folded in the pockets of trusted people. Volunteers with a fixed salary are needed to reinforce the 1,500 Russian troops in Transnistria: gunners, snipers, attackers, camouflage and sabotage experts. Fresh forces to remain with the binoculars on Ukraine and the viewfinder on Moldova.
Moscow is running for cover after Kyiv has literally walled in the border posts with the enclave governed by Soviet Union rules, well greased by all manner of illegal trade. It is not easy to introduce professional soldiers or soldiers of fortune with a tailor-made passport to transit Ukraine. The call to arms is mainly aimed at Moldovans. It is secret and illegal: Transnistria is not recognized by the international community and the operation involves citizens with Moldovan passports serving in a foreign army. It is not known how many respond, but sources in Transnistria assure that there are quite a few. And with almost two thousand soldiers from Moscow nearby, it’s not like sleeping peacefully in Chisinau.
Moldova is going through a severe crisis, the economy has been battered by the war since February 24 and the livelihoods of half a million refugees. For the 2.5 million inhabitants with the lowest incomes in Europe (the average monthly salary is less than 430 euros), generosity in the welcome will come at a high price. And with autumn just around the corner, things can only get worse. The gas tariff has risen from 628 in January to 1,424 euros per 1,000 cubic meters. The weapon profession, with uniforms and “zeta” in sight, wants to seduce that part of the Moldovan male population that has remained without a profitable job and has not stopped voting for the pro-Russian opposition. The promises are a payment of 35,000 Russian rubles (550 euros), accommodation in Transnistria after five years of military service, three meals a day and additional food packages, clothing, free medical help, the possibility of retirement after 20 years and opportunities for advancement.
Vladimir Thorik, a Moldovan investigative reporter, managed to pose as unemployed and pro-Russian. “It doesn’t matter if you’re a civilian. Nobody is born with a gun,” the recruiter told him. “Whoever wants to learn will learn,” he added, before listing all the merits of the “profession” in the service of the Kremlin. When he, along with colleagues Nicolae Cuschevici and Dumitru Baciu, tried to reconstruct the identities of the Russian emissaries, reporters from the Rise newspaper discovered that they were two Russians who had been in Crimea and Transnistria for years in the service of Putin’s plans stand.
In the country there was never a cause for concern. Many think that the attempt to stage a “white coup” has not yet been exhausted. Institutional sabotage was foiled and stepped up with the arrest of former president, Putinian Igor Dodon, still under house arrest and facing up to 20 years in prison for “treason and corruption,” according to local judicial sources, beginning a hunt for some influential people Political and financial figures close to the pro-Russian opposition.
Parliament extended the state of emergency for another 60 days, giving the government special powers to deal with the aftermath of the invasion of Ukraine. Contrary to what is happening in many European countries, Moldovan news continues to open editions with war correspondence. Odessa is a two-hour drive away, where the first merchant ship will land in months, while the cargo of grain destined for Lebanon has crossed the Bosphorus. The Turks then announced the departure of three more grain shipments for today.
That’s the only good news. The governor of Donetsk region said three civilians were killed and five wounded in attacks on a bus stop. Local authorities in Mykolayiv, Kharkiv and Dnepropetrovsk also reported that their areas were bombed. While Ukrainian forces recaptured two villages around the eastern city of Sloviansk, they were pushed back to the outskirts of the city of Avdiivka. According to the Kiev General Staff, Russia could launch a new offensive in the Kherson region of southern Ukraine. But it is precisely here that Kiev’s counterattack is expected at any moment. And by then the new Russian army in Transnistria should be put into service.