Crisis In Transnistria: Will The Ukraine Conflict Spread?

Crisis in Transnistria: Will the Ukraine conflict spread into other parts of Europe?

RT

While the world’s eyes are on Ukraine, Transnistria is facing an explosive situation. De facto self-governing since the Soviet collapse, the small territory, which borders Ukraine, is internationally recognized as part of Moldova. 

A series of explosions shook the capital, Tiraspol, at the end of April, and shots have been heard near the border with its war-torn neighbor. Several key military and infrastructure buildings were hit – the Ministry of State Security, a TV and radio center, as well as the largest ammunition warehouse in Eastern Europe. The Transnistria issue has simmered on the fringes of global politics since the original fighting was settled on July 21, 1992, and a ceasefire was signed.

Now, 30 years later, this 'frozen conflict' is challenging European security once again. RT explains who could benefit from an escalation in Transnistria and how developments in the region will be affected by Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine. 

Since the first days of Moscow’s operation, it became obvious that provocations could occur here. And it seems they have. On April 25, shots were allegedly fired at the Ministry of State Security from a grenade launcher. A fire started in the building as a result, and the explosion shattered windows in the nearby buildings, but no one was injured or killed. While the emergency services dealt with the debris, the authorities tried to figure out who was behind the shooting. Eventually they concluded that such episodes played into the hands of those who wanted to drag Transnistria into the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

The next day, a military airfield near Tiraspol was hit, and later two antennas in Mayak, where the Transnistrian TV and radio center is located, were blown up. Bloggers discovered that they belonged to the Russian Television and Radio Broadcasting Network and had been transmitting to the US, the Middle East, and Latin America.

The PMR's president, Vadim Krasnoselsky, believes that Ukraine was behind the incidents. “We know where the terrorists came from and where they went afterwards. I assure you, they have nothing to do with the Transnistria issue,” the politician said.

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