Transnistria, a Russian-administered enclave that straddles parts of the Dniester River, requested Moscow’s support last week amid growing tensions with Moldova’s pro-Western government.
Only 1,600 square miles in size, Transnistria is internationally recognized as part of Moldova.
However, since the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s, the enclave has been administered by Russia and remains home to more than 1,000 Russian troops.
On Feb. 28, officials in Tiraspol, Transnistria’s capital, formally asked Moscow to “implement measures for defending Transnistria amid increasing pressure from Moldova.”
They went on to assert that “more than 220,000 Russian citizens” currently reside in the enclave.
In a statement issued later that day, Russia’s foreign ministry promised to “carefully review” the request.
“Protecting the interests of the Transnistrian people, our compatriots, is one of our priorities,” the ministry stated.
The appeal to Moscow comes after Moldova imposed a raft of new customs duties as of Jan. 1 on imports to and exports from the Russian-administered enclave.
According to Transnistrian officials, the move is intended to pressure the enclave and will serve only to harm residents and businesses.
Alexander Korshunov, head of Transnistria’s governing council, last week accused Moldova of using trade tariffs “as a tool of pressure and blackmail.”
“Moldova’s policy regarding Transnistria remains unchanged: to destroy our economic potential, create unbearable living conditions ... and achieve the dismantling of our statehood,” he said.
Tiraspol has also called on the European Parliament to stop Moldova, which is on track to join the European Union, from “violating the rights and freedoms” of the enclave’s inhabitants.
In response, Oleg Serebrian, Moldova’s deputy prime minister, described the appeals by Transnistria as “propaganda” intended to generate headlines.
Tensions between Tiraspol and Chisinau, Moldova’s capital, aren’t confined solely to the economic sphere.
On Feb. 29, Oleg Belyakov, a ranking official in Russia’s military mission to Transnistria, claimed that there had been signs of stepped-up activity on the part of Moldova’s military.
“Summonses are being mailed out [in Moldova], draft-age people are being interviewed at enlistment offices. ... and the whereabouts of human resources—mostly males—are being checked,” he told Russia’s TASS news agency.
“This cannot but cause certain concern,” Mr. Belyakov said. “We saw something like that back in 1992.”
In that year, war erupted between newly independent Moldova—a former Soviet republic—and pro-Russian separatists in the country’s east.
That conflict, in which hundreds were killed, led to the emergence of Russian-administered Transnistria, which has kept an uneasy peace with Moldova ever since.
In a 2006 referendum, more than 95 percent of Transnistrian voters reportedly favored the notion of formally joining Russia.
The vote, however, was never internationally recognized; the U.S. State Department called it a “provocative referendum” that “cannot be taken seriously.”
Long seen as a potential flashpoint for conflict, Transnistria shares a 280-mile border with western Ukraine, which Russia invaded—from the east—two years ago.
The enclave is also reportedly home to numerous weapons depots containing vast amounts of Soviet-era munitions.
In a similar appeal in summer of 2023, Transnistria asked Russia to boost its military presence in the enclave because of what it called “mounting security risks.”
The request came shortly after Moscow accused Ukraine of planning an attack on Russian forces deployed in Transnistria.
Kyiv responded at the time by accusing Moscow of plotting a “coup” against Moldova’s government.
On Feb. 28, Moldovan President Maia Sandu attended a summit in Albania, where she stressed Chisinau’s commitment to peacefully resolving the Transnistrian issue.
She also defended her government’s recent decision to raise customs duties on trade with the enclave.
“What the [Moldovan] government is doing today is making small steps for the economic reintegration of the country,” Ms. Sandu said.
At the summit, she also held talks with Volodymyr Zelenskyy, her Ukrainian counterpart, and they reportedly discussed regional developments.
According to Mr. Zelenskyy, he and Ms. Sandu exchanged views on “recent events in Moldova’s Transnistria region and Russia’s efforts to destabilize the situation.”
In a statement, Ukraine’s foreign ministry said Kyiv would “remain an active participant in the Transnistrian settlement process.”
It also called for the “speedy withdrawal” of Russian troops from the enclave.
At a Feb. 28 news briefing, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said the United States was keeping a close eye on events in Transnistria.
“Given Russia’s increasingly aggressive role in Europe, we’re watching Russia’s actions in Transnistria—and the broader situation there—very closely,” he told reporters.
“The United States firmly supports Moldova’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders.
“We continue to encourage Chisinau and Tiraspol to work together and identify solutions to pressing concerns of communities on both sides of the Nistru [Dniester River].”
