Russia Could Use Transnistrian Region To Seize Southern Ukrainian Cities Odessa, Mykolaiv
News 18The recent blasts in Moldova’s Transnistria has led to fears that Moldova could be sucked into the war in Ukraine. Similar concerns were echoed by Latvian foreign minister Edgars Rinkevics who said that the blasts reminded him of the initial weeks of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and said that these could be ‘false flag’ operations following which Russia could attack Moldova. The region could be important to Russia given its closeness to southern Ukrainian cities of Mykolaiv, Odessa and Mariupol – which Russia is eyeing to cut Ukraine off from receiving military or logistical support. Russia has 1,500 troops stationed there who could be called into action anytime Russia faces an emergency situation but Transnistria rather allows Russia to supply its forces with medical aid and reinforcements in its quest to seize southern Ukraine and its major cities. It is however possible that it could be major ploy from Russia to join the territories of Abkhazia, South Ossetia, and Artsakh to southern Ukraine and Transnistria and expand its sphere of influence.