NATO would thus try to distract Russian troops involved in the war in Ukraine, pro-Kremlin media writes, expressing concern for the inhabitants of the separatist region, while Moscow has left them in the cold and dark.
NEWS: In order to distract part of the Russian forces on the frontline, the countries of the Western bloc and the leadership of the Republic of Moldova, controlled by the former, have prepared an act of provocation in Transnistria.
Referring to that live on the radio station “Komsomolskaya Pravda” was military analyst Aleksandr Artamonov, PolitNavigator’s correspondent says.
“Currently, we might witness an escalation of the conflict in Transnistria in a direction many have not foreseen. This is linked to the fact that Maia Sandu is in a hysterical state.
The frontline is a living organism. If forces are withdrawn to solve a certain problem, these forces will not be there to take care of other problems. And the closer we get to the sea and NATO bases, the stronger our enemy is. In addition, Moldova is caught between Ukraine and NATO, and in the middle of it is our Transnistria. 200,000 of our citizens live there.
Why could this happen? They will try to distract part of our forces to solve this problem. How exactly will they do that? Obviously, not by means of a ground operation. We can solve it only through missile strikes, if someone attacks Transnistria”, Artamonov said.
“Of course, Moldova does not have the necessary military strength to attack Transnistria. Their army is tiny – 5 to 6 thousand people. And we have a battalion of our local citizens deployed on the ground.
This could involve us in a direct confrontation with NATO, and the situation can escalate to a whole new level.
For them, the most important thing is to create an act of provocation, to kill as many of our citizens as possible, to create a difficult situation for Vladimir Vladimirovich. And to present us with a choice – either forsaken 200,000 of our citizens, or to be forced to withdraw forces from the main frontline.
NARRATIVE: At Chișinău’s request, NATO is preparing an attack on Transnistria.
PURPOSE: To sow panic on the left bank of the Dniester and to distract attention from Russia’s decision to discontinue gas deliveries to the Transnistrian region, which causes great economic difficulties to the separatist region and discomfort to its citizens.
WHY THE NARRATIVE IS FALSE: After the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Kremlin propaganda launched a large-scale fake news and disinformation campaign regarding the alleged agreement between Chișinău and Kyiv/Bucharest/NATO to attack Transnistria, many of which have been dismantled by Veridica.
There is no evidence regarding any plan to attack the region or concerning NATO’s intention to enter an open war with the Russian Federation. Chișinău has always ruled out a scenario that would involve settling the conflict by military means and reiterated that it is only considering solutions to resolve the conflict peacefully. Kyiv has stated on several occasions that it will not take any action in Transnistria without the consent of the Republic of Moldova.
Also, following the allegations launched by the SVR, the head of the presidential administration, Adrian Băluțel, said that Chișinău remains firmly committed to the peaceful resolution of the conflict, without exception. “An essential step towards resolving the conflict is the complete and unconditional withdrawal of Russian troops, which are illegally stationed on the sovereign territory of the Republic of Moldova. It is also manipulative and completely false to blame Chișinău or Kyiv for the energy crisis in the region. We would like to point out that there is a clear contract between Moldovagaz and Gazprom, which stipulates the delivery of natural gas on the left bank, regardless of the transit route. The current problems stem from Gazprom's refusal to comply with its contractual obligations, not from the actions of the Government of the Republic of Moldova”, the Moldovan official said.
BACKGROUND: Fear-mongering messages about a possible attack on Transnistria, a region not controlled by Chișinău authorities, currently subordinated to Moscow, have intensified even more recently, in the context of the energy crisis that the separatist region is facing. In addition to the usual channels used to spread such narratives (the Russian and Kremlin-affiliated media in Transnistria, Telegram channels, radical politicians and so-called experts), the Kremlin has also brought out its “heavy artillery” - the well-known Russian Foreign Intelligence Service - SVR.
Ukraine did not extend its contract with Gazprom for gas transit via Ukrainian territory, starting January 1, 2025, and Russia, which also supplies gas to Transnistria, refused to choose another gas pipeline. Most of the Russian gas was used to produce electricity, which Transnistria sells on the right bank of the Dniester at prices lower than on regional markets. The low price is explained by the fact that the separatist region does not pay for its gas input, and, accordingly, electricity supplies represent a significant part of the separatist regime's budget sources.
Starting January 1, the Cuciurgan Power Plant no longer supplies electricity to the right bank of the Dniester and has no budget revenues. At the same time, the separatist region, which has been left without gas, has disconnected most of its settlements from this energy resource, also leaving them without heating and hot water. Tiraspol and Moscow blame Chișinău for the energy crisis.
On the other hand, Chișinău has offered Tiraspol support to overcome the energy crisis, which Transnistrian authorities have turned down.
