Moldova urges withdrawal of Russian peacekeepers from Transnistria

The Moldovan Ministry for Foreign Affairs and European Integration has condemned a military drill held by the Operative Group of Russian Troops in Transnistria. Earlier, the Russian defense ministry published a report on its website announcing the start of the drill. According to the Moldavan foreign ministry, Transnistrian military are also taking part in the military exercises.

“The Ministry for Foreign Affairs and European Integration is expressing bewilderment and indignation at the provocative activities of the Russian troops that are illegally deployed in the Transnistrian region,” says the ministry adding that the drill is a “direct threat to Moldova’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

The Moldovan government believes that the Russian troops are deployed in Transnistria with no legal basis. Chisinau raises again the issue of Russia’s obligation to withdraw its troops from Transnistria in accordance with the treaty on principles of peaceful settlement of the military conflict that was signed on July 21, 1992 in Moscow.

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs and European Integration once again spoke for launching discussions on replacement of the current peacekeeping mission by civil monitors under international mandate.

The Joint Peacekeeping Forces that for more than 25 years have been securing peace in the region include 402 Russian, 492 Transnistrian, 355 Moldovan military men and ten military observers from Ukraine.

The Operative Group of Russian Troops in Transnistria guards munition warehouses.

In May 2017, the Moldovan Constitutional Court ruled that the Russian corps are occupation forces. Later, the Moldovan parliament passed a declaration urging withdrawal of the Russian troops and pulling out munitions from the republic.