Moldova’s Transnistria reports drone attack on a military facility
- 17 March, 16:07
Moldova’s breakaway Transnistria region reported a drone attack on a military installation in the city of Tiraspol on Sunday. The drone destroyed a helicopter and ignited a fire, the region’s pro-Russian authorities reported. Officials in the self-proclaimed Transnistria republic blamed the attacks on Ukraine
Moldova’s Bureau for Reintegration Policies has stated in a recent announcement that, upon reviewing video footage of the incident, they "do not confirm any attack" on Transnistria, characterizing it as "an attempt to incite fear and panic in the region."
Furthermore, the bureau clarified that the military equipment depicted in the circulated social media videos "has not been operational for several years." They also mentioned ongoing communication between authorities in the Moldavian capital of Chisinau and Ukraine regarding the incident.
Russia maintains approximately 1,500 troops in Transnistria, ostensibly as peacekeepers, overseeing vast Soviet-era weapons and ammunition stockpiles at the Cobasna military depot. The specific base targeted by the drone strike on Sunday was situated in Tiraspol, the regional capital, with no definitive confirmation regarding the presence of Russian troops at the site.
At the end of last month, members of the Transnistrian congress convened a rare meeting in Tiraspol to appeal to the Russian Duma, urging them to "take measures to defend Transnistria amidst mounting pressure from Moldova," citing the significant population of over 220,000 Russian citizens residing in the region.
