Moldova’s President Maia Sandu on Monday accused Russia of planning to make use of “saboteurs” to destabilize the previous Soviet republic, echoing a declare made days earlier by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
In an handle on the presidential web site, Sandu stated the assertion by Zelensky “concerning the plans of the Russian Federation to destabilize the Republic of Moldova have been confirmed by our establishments.”
“Russia’s plan to hold out subversive actions on the territory of our state is just not new,” she stated. “Makes an attempt to destabilize the scenario and undermine the state have been additionally made final autumn, however they didn’t obtain their purpose due to the immediate intervention of our safety and public order companies.”
Sandu added that final fall, in anticipation of an vitality disaster, there was a plan for “a sequence of actions involving saboteurs who’ve undergone army coaching and are disguised as civilians to hold out violent actions, assaults on authorities buildings and hostage-taking.”
Sandu additionally claimed people disguised as “the so-called opposition” have been going to attempt forcing a change of energy in Chisinau via “violent actions.”
CNN is unable to independently confirm these claims.
On Thursday, Zelensky stated Ukrainian intelligence intercepted a Russian plan to destabilize Moldova.
The subsequent day, the prime minister of Moldova and her cupboard resigned — simply hours after a Russian cruise missile crossed over the nation’s territory. The Overseas Ministry summoned Russia’s ambassador over what it stated was an “unacceptable violation of our airspace by a Russian missile.”
CNN has reached out to the Russian Overseas Ministry for touch upon the allegations by Sandu and Zelensky.
Some context: The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 resulted within the emergence of a pro-Moscow de facto breakaway state alongside Moldova’s border with Ukraine referred to as Transnistria. Unrecognized by the worldwide group, the 1,300-square mile enclave has performed host to hundreds of Russian troops and its economic system is closely depending on Russian subsidies.
Issues about Russia’s long-term plans for Transnistria have solely intensified after Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine started final February.
