Moldova stated that there was no explosion at the military base in Tiraspol, and the video of the helicopter explosion was a video montage

Moldova stated that there was no explosion at the military base in Tiraspol (PMR) on March 17, and the circulated video of the detonation of the Mi-8 helicopter was a video montage.

This is reported by the Moldovan publication NewsMaker.

The Minister of Internal Affairs of Moldova Adrian Efros noted that the statement of the unrecognized Transnistria is part of a disinformation campaign intended to cause panic and fear. He assures that there was no explosion.

"This was part of a disinformation campaign aimed at creating panic, fear and instability among citizens. This is a montage. There was no explosion. Specialists will speak in more detail. But it was part of a disinformation campaign and an attempt to provoke instability,” Efros said.

The OSINT community and video editing specialists in X analyzed the video of the explosion. They claimed that the photo and video of the helicopter were edited — the photo was retouched, and the FPV drone, which allegedly targeted the Mi-8, was "mounted". It disappears before the impact, the propeller blades do not move after the explosion, and after the explosion you can see a flash of fuel under the helicopter.

The Bureau of Reintegration of Moldova wrote on the day of the attack that the helicopter shown had been idle for a long time. There could be no fuel in it. The unrecognized Transnistria claims that the helicopter was attacked by a drone and declares sabotage.

• On March 17, 2024, the so-called Ministry of State Security of Transnistria announced an attack on the military base in Tiraspol. Local media showed a burnt helicopter. There were no victims.
• On the same day, the official authorities of Chisinau contacted the Ukrainian side regarding the incident in Transnistria. The Moldovan Reintegration Policy Bureau does not confirm any attack on the Transnistrian region.