Russia wants to establish a pro-Kremlin government in Moldova, which would allow them to station 10 000 troops in unrecognized Transnistria.
This was stated by the Prime Minister of Moldova Dorin Recean.
Moldovaʼs parliamentary elections are due in September 2025. According to Recean, Russia is planning to interfere in them so that the future government, more oriented towards Moscow, will allow it to expand its military presence in the region. The prime minister says that Moscow is spreading propaganda online and also transferring money to pro-Russian parties and voters.
"This is a huge effort aimed at undermining Moldovan democracy. They [the Russians] want to strengthen their military presence in the Transnistrian region," Recean believes.
Information about Moscowʼs plans to deploy 10 000 troops in Transnistria is intelligence data, says Rechean.
"You can imagine the impact and pressure that would be exerted on southwestern Ukraine with 10 000 soldiers. But itʼs also close to Romania, a NATO member state," the Moldovan prime minister said.
There are 1 500 Russian peacekeepers in Transnistria. They are mostly local residents, natives of Moldova with Russian passports, hired under contract. Most of them guard the regionʼs weapons depot, which dates back to Soviet times.
The Moldovan government has repeatedly called on Russia to withdraw its troops from Transnistria. However, the so-called authorities of the region, on the contrary, have asked to increase the number of Russian peacekeepers in the region.
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