Transnistria

Given its geographical proximity to Ukraine, and the high number of Ukrainian citizens living in the Transnistria, the de-facto authorities of the breakaway Moldovan region have sought to remain neutral in the ongoing conflict.

But, despite the best efforts of its separatist leaders, it appears that the war in Ukraine may have finally spread to Transnistria.

The Defence Ministry of the breakaway region of Transnistria in Moldova has ordered the mobilisation of all men between 18 and 55, "at a special meeting to replenish the peacekeeping contingent," a statement issued to the heads of local administrations in Transnistria said.

The Russian army fired a missile at the Zatoka drawbridge 60 kilometers southeast of Odessa, the Ukrainian agency UNIAN reported.

The news was also confirmed by the mayor's office in Odessa. The blow was inflicted at 12:36 p.m. on Tuesday. No one was injured among the railway staff serving the bridge.

President Maia Sandu said after a meeting of Moldova's Supreme Security Council on Tuesday that explosions in Transnistria for two days in a row "show that there are tensions between various forces" that are interested in destabilising the breakaway region, where Russian troops have been based since the collapse of the Soviet Union.

The leadership of the Transnistrian republic is expected to declare mobilization and join the war against Ukraine after several "explosions". This morning, the situation in the unrecognized Russian enclave in Moldova worsened and people began to leave the borders in crowds.

The Transnistrian Interior Ministry, a Russian-backed separatist territory in the former Soviet republic of Moldova, said two blasts were aimed at a radio center near the Ukrainian border.

"Early in the morning of April 26, two explosions were heard in the village of Mayak in the Grigoriopol district," a statement from the separatist republic's interior ministry said.

"Control over the south of Ukraine is another way to reach Transnistria, where there are also facts of oppression of the Russian-speaking population. Obviously now we are at war with the whole world, as it was in the Great Patriotic War, everyone in Europe, the whole world was against us. And now it's the same thing, they never liked Russia."

By establishing control over southern Ukraine, Russia will secure "another route" to Moldova's breakaway region of Transnistria, where Russian troops have been based since the collapse of the Soviet Union, a senior Russian military commander was quoted as saying on Friday.

Moldova is facing massive challenges after almost 70,000 Ukrainian citizens entered the country seeking shelter from Russia's invasion, according to Moldovan Border Police figures on Monday.

President Maia Sandu on Sunday visited the Otaci-Mohyliv-Podilsk border crossing in the Ocnita district to inspect how the authorities were coping with the growing flow of refugees.

Moldovan President Maia Sandu on Friday voiced deep concern about the security situation on her country's border caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.