Transnistria: shots heard near a Russian ammunition depot



Lhe village of Kolbasna was overflown by drones before being the target of gunfire on the night of Tuesday April 26 to Wednesday April 27, the Transnistrian authorities announced. The region, which belongs to Moldova, is in the hands of pro-Russian separatists, as in the Donbass. Several hundred Russian soldiers are stationed there, as well as ammunition. This is particularly the case in Kolbasna, located near the Ukrainian border, which hosts a Russian ammunition depot.

“Last night several drones were spotted over the village of Kolbasna,” Transnistria’s “Ministry of Interior” said in a statement, adding that on Wednesday morning “shots were fired in direction of Kolbasna from Ukraine” without causing casualties.

The village of Kolbasna, Cobasna in Romanian, is located about two kilometers from the Ukrainian border. A large arms depot, dating from the Soviet period, is there under the control of Russian soldiers deployed in this territory. The self-proclaimed republic of Transnistria seceded from Moldova in 1992, after a short war against Chisinau. Since then, around 1,500 Russian soldiers have been stationed there.

READ ALSO“Our suitcases are ready”: in Moldova, the fear of an overflowing war

In recent days, fears that the conflict in Ukraine could spread to Transnistria have multiplied after a Russian general claimed that the Kremlin offensive in Ukraine was aimed at establishing a corridor to this separatist region.

Separatists said a series of explosions occurred Monday and Tuesday in the self-declared republic. In response, Moldova announced measures to strengthen its security and called on the population to calm down. For its part, kyiv accused Russia of wanting to “destabilize” Transnistria in order to justify military intervention.




Source link -82