Two months after the invasion of Ukraine, a Russian military commander suggested on Friday that Moscow aims to create a corridor through southern Ukraine to Transnistria. a breakaway republic in eastern Moldova.
“Control of southern Ukraine is another way out of Transnistria, where there are also facts of oppression of the Russian-speaking population,” said Rustam Minekayev, acting commander of Russia’s Central Military District, according to Russia’s Interfax news agency.
It was unclear whether Minekayev’s statement reflected the Kremlin’s official line. The comment surprised some analysts, as Russia tried and failed to advance to southwestern Ukraine in the first weeks of the war, an area it must secure to reach the border with Transnistria.
However, it sparked a global conversation about the separatist enclave and represents the most direct challenge to Moldova to date. Moldova called on the Russian ambassador later Friday to express “deep concern” over Minekayev’s comments.
“These statements are unfounded and contradict the position of the Russian Federation in support of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Moldova within its internationally recognized borders,” the Moldovan Foreign Ministry said in a statement to The Washington Post.
Analysts say it is unlikely that the Russian military, involved in the battle to conquer eastern Ukraine, will be able to pave the way. And although Transnistria is backed by Moscow and hosts Russian troops, that may not mean its people want to get involved in the war.
Here’s what you need to know about the breakaway republic.
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