The situation in Moldova remains tense. Authorities in the pro-Russian separatist region of Transnistria said Wednesday that a village on the border with Ukraine, home to a large Russian army ammunition depot, came under fire.
“Several drones were sighted over the village of Kolbasna last night,” Transnistria’s Interior Ministry said, adding that on Wednesday morning “shots were fired towards Kolbasna from Ukraine” with no casualties. The village of Kolbasna, Cobasna in Romanian, is located about two kilometers from the Ukrainian border. There is a large Soviet-era weapons depot controlled by Russian soldiers stationed in the area.
“Events of great concern,” Moldova said
The incident comes after a series of explosions in the region on Monday and Tuesday, raising fears of a spillover from the Ukraine conflict. In response, Moldova announced measures to strengthen its security and called on the population to calm down.
Foreign Minister Nicu Popescu spoke on Wednesday of “very worrying events that represent a dangerous deterioration in the situation”. “Our first duty is to keep the peace in Moldova,” he stressed. “We will do everything to ensure that Moldova stays out of any military escalation in this region.”
According to him, “the Transnistrian authorities announced that they would prevent the exit of men of military age”. Information that was denied in the evening by the President of the separatist region Vadim Krasnoselski. “I officially declare that such a decision has never been made,” he said in a message published on Telegram, denouncing “absurd lies” and “fantasies (…) that have nothing to do with seeing with reality”.
About 1,500 Russian soldiers in Transnistria
The self-proclaimed “Republic” of Transnistria broke away from Moldova in 1992 after a brief war against Chisinau. Since then, around 1,500 Russian soldiers have been stationed there. Fears that the conflict in Ukraine could spill over into Transnistria have been heightened in recent days after a Russian general claimed the Kremlin’s offensive in Ukraine was aimed at establishing a corridor to that pro-Russian separatist region. For its part, Kyiv accused Russia of wanting to “destabilize” Transnistria in order to justify military intervention.