Moldova announced on Thursday it was investigating a complaint from authorities in Transnistria, the pro-Russian separatist region, that they alleged they thwarted an attack attributed to Kiev.
Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean said he had no confirmation of this allegation, but was ready to “respond to any provocation”.
In a statement posted on Facebook’s social network account, the Moldovan government acknowledged that “the competent authorities are investigating this information”.
On Thursday, Transnistrian authorities said they had managed to prevent an attack, which they blamed on Ukrainian forces.
“The place where the terrorist act was supposed to take place shows that the aim was first to eliminate the leaders of the state and (…) of Tiraspol, where many civilians would be gathered”said the region’s prosecutor Anatoli Gouretski, quoted by Russian news agencies.
The area’s head of diplomacy, Vitali Ignatev, added that one of the targets was the leader of this self-proclaimed state, Vadim Krasnoselski, along with “other senior officials”.
Local television Perviï Pridnestrovski said on the Russian social network VK that the attack would be carried out with a car bomb containing eight kilos of explosives and broadcast images of the person presented as the main suspect.
At the end of February, the Kremlin had already said that Kiev was preparing an attack on the pro-Russian separatist region of Moldova, promising to respond to any settlement.
Kiev has already responded to this complaint from the Transnistrian authorities, denying any responsibility for the alleged attack attempt, saying it was a “provocation orchestrated by the Kremlin.
“Any statement (…) by the false ‘Transnistrian People’s Republic’ about the participation of the SBU (Ukrainian intelligence services) in the preparation of a terrorist attack should be considered a provocation orchestrated by the Kremlin”the SBU said in a statement.
Transnistria, a Russian-speaking region of Moldova bordering Ukraine, has declared independence after a short war following the fall of the USSR and is not recognized by any state, but is supported by Moscow, which has a military contingent stationed there.
Source: DN
