The president of the self-proclaimed republic of Transnistria, Vadim Krasnoselsky, has traced the latest spate of what he described as “terrorist attacks” in the republic back to Ukraine. Speaking on Tuesday, he cited the results of a probe conducted by local authorities, urging Kiev to investigate the armed groups that had allegedly infiltrated his region and hit several targets there.
Krasnoselsky surmised that “those who arranged this assault aim to drag Transnistria into the conflict.”
He also called on Moldova, from which Transnistria seceded a war in 1992, to engage in talks to “preserve peace.”
“Don’t let Moldova be dragged into an aggression against Transnistria,” the official implored, warning that it could lead to a “big war.”
Earlier on Tuesday, that country's President Maia Sandu convened its security council over the situation in the breakaway region between Moldova and Ukraine. She claimed that the “attempted escalation has to do with forces inside Transnistria, which want war and are interested in destabilizing the situation.”
Sandu said that the security situation in the self-proclaimed republic had been deteriorating for several weeks, with reports of explosive devices planted in Transnistria’s education and healthcare facilities. The official added that there had been no direct contact between Chisinau and Tiraspol recently, with the Moldovan government not planning to discuss the issue with Moscow either.
Speaking on Tuesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described the recent wave of explosions in Transnistria as “concerning,” adding that Moscow was “watching the situation very closely.”
Transnistria, officially known as the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic (PMR), has been placed on a terror alert following a spree of attacks. On Monday, the local security service’s office in Tiraspol was hit with a disposable rocket launcher. That same day, a military base in Parkany was also targeted. No casualties were reported as a result, however.
Early on Tuesday, two radio masts were blown up in the village of Mayak.
Since the predominantly Russian-speaking region became de facto independent in 1992, Russian peacekeepers have been stationed there.