What Ukraine is building on the border of the Republic of Moldova next to Transnistria

“On the border of the Republic of Moldova there is a section like Transnistria. Since Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Ukrainian Defense Forces have strengthened this direction. Control is not only strengthened, but also has a network of fortresses. It is being built,” announced Andrei Demcenko in an intervention on Ukrainian television.

According to the Ukrainian official, due to the “treachery of the enemy”, Ukraine should be ready for any challenges, in this sense the borders of the Republic of Belarus and Moldova need more attention.

Natalia Kumenyuk, spokeswoman for the southern operational command of the Ukrainian forces, stressed a few days ago that Russia had no chance of launching a landing operation in Transnistria.

Last Thursday, the Russian Defense Ministry accused Ukraine of planning an invasion of Transnistria in the future, after a false flag operation, but Chisinau immediately denied the information, according to media reports on Pruitt.

Ukraine has intensified preparations for an invasion of the Transnistrian region, leading to a concentration of personnel and military equipment on its border with Transnistria, the same ministry said in a second warning issued the same day, according to TASS.

Already a day later, in a stern note, the Russian Foreign Ministry told Chisinau, Kiev and Ukraine’s Western allies that Moscow would perceive any move to threaten Russian forces stationed in Transnistria as an attack on Russia.

The Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Moldova condemned the information as false and intended to create panic and confusion among the people on both banks of the Dniester River. According to Deschide.md, Chisinau authorities urged citizens to remain calm and receive information only from official sources.

Russia has about 2,000 soldiers in Transnistria: about 500 in the peacekeeping force, and about 1,500 in the Operational Group of Russian Troops (GOTR), the successor to the Soviet 14th Guards.

Chisinau has repeatedly asked Moscow to withdraw its GOTR troops from Transnistria. As for the peacekeeping mission in Transnistria, the Moldovan government requested to replace it with an international civilian mission.

Moscow explains the maintenance of the GOTR soldiers by ensuring the safety and security of the ammunition depots in Gobasna, located about 200 kilometers from the Luzeni-Albita border crossing.

According to various media from Chisinau, about 20,000 tons of weapons and ammunition were stored in Gobasna, which arrived in Transnistria after the withdrawal of Soviet troops from the German Democratic Republic, Czechoslovakia and other former satellite states of the USSR. In fact, Moldovan experts say they don’t know exactly how many tons of ammunition are currently in these warehouses, as Transnistria has often been accused of illegally selling weapons, Chisinau media reported.

But in addition to the group of Russian forces, there is also the so-called Transnistrian Army in Transnistria, which Chisinau qualifies as a paramilitary group, which includes, among other things, a popular formation of militia and Cossacks (Ostea Kazaska). If Draspol summons all these units, the total number of people called under arms will reach 15,000, according to the Defense Zone Portal.