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The map of Ukraine’s war, which enters its third month, widens on suspicion that Vladimir Putin’s government is aiming for a target beyond those officially declared to justify the invasion.
At this stage of the conflict, in which Moscow intensifies its attacks in the east and tries to combat the last stronghold of Ukrainian resistance in Mariupol, the Russian objective of creating a land corridor connecting two allied breakaway regions is already clear:
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the provinces of Donetsk and Luganskin the Donbass region, which Russia wants Ukraine to recognize as autonomous;
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the peninsula of Crimeaannexed by Putin in 2014 and which Russia wants Kiev to recognize as Russian.
But recent attacks on Odessa, where Ukraine’s largest port is located, have raised suspicions that Russia wants to extend this corridor southward, either to gain a strategic outlet to the sea or to reach a new front with a strong connection to Moscow: The transnistriain Moldova.
Do’nt know? A quick guide to Transnistria:
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It is a 400 km strip on the border with Ukraine, marked by the Dniester River;
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It has about 500,000 inhabitants, mostly Slavic and Russian-speaking;
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It formally belongs to Moldova, with an ethnic Romanian majority. But since 1992 it has been dominated by pro-Russian separatists;
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It functions as an independent territory, with its own government, but is not recognized by any country, not even Moscow.
This Monday (25), a grenade launcher attack was recorded at the headquarters of the Ministry of Public Security in Tiraspol, the main city in Transdnistria.
The incident came three days after a top Russian military man declared that the intention of the special military operation – as the Kremlin calls the war – is also to capture southern Ukraine and reach the separatist enclave in Moldova.
The argument, according to Rustam Minnekaiev, deputy commander of the Central Military District, would be the same alleged for the presence of troops in other areas: to save the population of Transdnistria from supposed oppression.
The plan, however, has been denied by Moscow. Also on Monday, Russian Vice Chancellor Andrei Rudenko said that the government is seeking a peaceful solution for the region and that there is no risk to this population.
Yes but: It is not the first time that Transnistria has gained attention as a possible development of the conflict. In March, the region appeared on a map presented by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Putin’s closest ally, in a televised address.
The Belarusian ambassador to Moldova later apologized and claimed it was a mistake. But the fact is that authorities in the small ex-Soviet nation are already expressing concern about an eventual invasion of the territory — even if the strategic importance is not significant.
Like Ukraine, the tiny nation of 2.6 million is not a member of NATO (Western Military Alliance) or the European Union.
Do not get lost
Three facts about Transnistria, the “ghost republic” in Moldova that wants to be Russia’s:
- Military presence: Despite not recognizing the territory as independent, Russia maintains around 1,500 troops in the region — most of whom are locals wearing Russian military uniforms. The aim of securing peace and protecting the stockpile of Soviet-era munitions
- Coin: The region has its own currency, the Transnistrian ruble, traded only locally, but much sought after by collectors. Goods smuggling is expressive
- nostalgia: The memory of Soviet times is present in the official flag with the hammer and sickle, in statues of Lenin and in street names such as Rosa Luxemburg.
What happened this Monday (25)
What to see to stay informed
How was the celebration of Orthodox Easter in the attacked region in eastern Ukraine and the Ukrainian teachers who organize classes for refugee children in Romania, in two videos:
