Claim by Ukrainian General Staff debunked, as Moldovan President says number of Russian troops increased in Transnistria
*Reiterates country maintains neutrality but won’t join Western sanctions against Moscow
The Moldovan authorities do not register an increase in the number of Russian servicemen in Transnistria, Moldovan President Maia Sandu told journalists on Monday, according TASS News Agency.
Earlier, the Ukrainian General Staff disseminated information that the deployment of military units in Transnistria was allegedly recorded to prepare an offensive. The Transnistrian authorities debunked this information.
“News appeared in the media about some military movements on the territory of Transnistria. The number of Russian peacekeepers in the Transnistrian region has not increased – they all cross the border of Moldova, so reports that there are more of them do not correspond to reality.
“We cannot know everything, but according to the reports we obtained, information from our partners, we do not see things in Transnistria that would indicate an alteration in the security situation,” Sandu noted.
She also mentioned that Moldovan representatives “warned the Russian military about the illegality of the placement of the symbols “Z” and “V”, which are used by Russian troops in Ukraine.
Sandu underscored that the republic, whose constitution stipulates neutrality, does not intend to interfere in the events in the neighboring country and will not join the sanctions against Russia.
