Moldovan authorities have confined Russian troops in Transnistria
Moldovan authorities have restricted the movement of Russian servicemen located in Transnistria. According to official information, six high-ranking officers of the Russian Operational Group of Forces, which is stationed there, have been declared personae non gratae in Moldova, writes Deutsche Welle.
The Dniester River, separating Transnistria from the territory of Moldova controlled by the Moldovan authorities. Photo: pridnestrovie-tourism.com
The decision means that Russian commanders are forbidden from being on the territory of Moldova controlled by the country's authorities (on the right bank of the Dniester).
If any of them try to enter, they will be immediately deported from Moldova without the right to return.
In fact, this means that the command of the Russian contingent remains restricted in its movements to the territory of Transnistria, as it is now even more impossible to leave it via the territory of Ukraine.
Among the undesirable persons are the commander of the group of forces, Dmitry Zelenkov, three of his deputies — Dmitry Apalev, Sergey Moshchenko, and Sergey Shirshov — as well as the chief of staff, Marat Yarulin, and the head of the field bank in Tiraspol, Alexey Bogomolov.
In addition, the restrictions also affect the families of these officers: they lose access to a number of services on the territory of Moldova, including medical assistance and document processing.
The Moldovan side explains these measures by the fact that the presence of Russian troops is considered illegal and is viewed as a threat to the country's security.