Russian army to carry out exercises in Transnistria

A group of Russian military forces will shortly carry out an exercise in Transnistria. The press service of Russia’s Defense Ministry reports that the trainees will learn how to rebuff an attack by Su-25 fighter and Mi-24 helicopter.

Spokesman of the Western Military District Oleg Kochetkov explains that the trainees will use Plamya grenade launchers and Utyos heavy machine guns.

As EADaily reported earlier, in late May the Supreme Rada denounced the agreement allowing Russian troops to move to Transnistria through the territory of Ukraine, with a relevant law ratified by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on June 11.

This made the airport in Chisinau, Moldova, the only legal way for the Russians to get to Transnistria. But in May the Moldovans detained three Russians there.

The Moldovan authorities do not consider the Russian troops in Transnistria as peacekeepers and insist on their withdrawal from the unrecognized republic. Russia has almost 1,000 military men in Transnistria.

On June 9, the newly appointed governor of Odessa region Mikheil Saakashvili said that the Ukrainian authorities would fortify their border with Transnistria so as to stop drugs and arms trafficking from that republic.