The Russia-Ukraine conflict has suddenly pushed the spotlight on to Transnistria, with many war analysts stating that the tiny strip of land, situated between Moldova and Ukraine, could play a rather significant role in the outcome of this offensive.
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Transnistria as recently as last Saturday denied that it is mobilising forces for war with Ukraine in a series of government statements.
"We, Pridnestrovians, are a people who know what war is, and we are a people who know how important it is to appreciate and preserve peace," said the Saturday statement. "We believe that in the light of recent events in Ukraine, our best and most correct reaction should not be marches and banners, but the preservation of calm in our multinational republic, the preservation of peace."
For many this is the first time they might be hearing about Transnistria. So, which country are they, where are they situated and what’s their stake in this war?
We provide you with the answers.
All about Transnistria
A thin strip of land wedged between Moldova and Ukraine, Transnistria is home to more than 500,000 people.
Also spelled as Trans-Dniester, it is formally called the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic {PMR}. But ironically, this country doesn’t officially exist.
Transnistria declared its independence after Moldova stepped away from the Soviet Union in 1990. At that time, the region was home to many Russians and they felt isolated under the new power system. They declared independence, leading to a war — which ended in a ceasefire. The conflict was never fully resolved and from this came Transnistria.
The country {if it can be called that} is often described as being stuck in the USSR — numerous statues of Vladimir Lenin can be spotted, imposing Soviet-style architecture stands tall, and national flag is the last in the world to bear the hammer and sickle insignia.
Transnistria, with its capital Tiraspol, is still unrecognised as a nation by any member of the United Nations. It has only been recognised by Abkhazia and South Ossetia, both of which are also pro-Russian breakaway states from Georgia, a pro-Western state with serious problems with Moscow.
“It makes us sad that our independence isn’t officially recognised, but we feel independent,” Vera Galchenko, a public servant, told BBC in 2020.
When it comes to population, Russians make up 29 per cent of the Transnistrian population while Ukrainians represent nearly 23 per cent. Moldavians also account for nearly 29 per cent of the breakaway state’s population.
Interestingly, Transnistria’s currency is the ruble, which is virtually worthless outside its borders. Washington Post reports that international bank cards don’t work at Transnistrian ATMs and another unique feature is that while many Transnistrians have Russian passports, many others possess a Moldovan one.
As per reported information, Russia provides free gas and supplements residents' pensions.
Transnistria also provides more than 1,000 troops, to the consternation of those in Ukraine. Still, Russia has not formally recognised the breakaway state, and does not appear inclined to.
Why Transnistria matters
It is not surprising that the Russia-Ukraine conflict has made people curious to see if Transnistria poses any threat to Ukraine.
Al Jazeera has reported that at present, there are 1,500 Russian soldiers and peacekeepers stationed on Transnistrian soil despite calls from Moldova, NATO, Ukraine, and the United States for them to withdraw.
As recent as 2 February, Russia carried out military drills in the region; Moscow also said that Russian presence in essential to protect their citizens and keep the peace between Moldovans and Transnistrians.
Additionally, Russia has positioned 1,000 soldiers to guard 22,000 tonnes of ammunition in the village of Cobasna in Transnistria, which is believed to be the largest ammunition depot in Eastern Europe.
Geographically, Transnistria plays a very important role in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. This is because Transnistria is located along much of Moldova’s eastern border with Ukraine. Through Moldova, Russia can lay siege over Ukraine and with the help of Belarus through the north.
Is this all about Novo Russia?
There are several experts who believe that Vladimir Putin’s actions in Ukraine are tied to his ambitions of setting up ‘Novo Russia’.
Historically Novorossiya was a large swathe of southern and eastern Ukraine, which became part of imperial Russia.
In a 2014 interview, following the annexation of Crimea, Vladimir Putin had said referred to territories in east Ukraine as "Novorussia," or "New Russia".
"It's new Russia. Kharkiv, Luhansk, Donetsk, Odessa were not part of Ukraine in Czarist times, they were transferred in 1920. Why? God knows. Then for various reasons these areas were gone, and the people stayed there - we need to encourage them to find a solution," Putin was quoted as saying.
A news report by PTI states that the ongoing offensive is an extension of Putin’s Crimean annexation. The report said that Putin had mistakenly believed that by successfully annexing Crimea, he would shake Ukrainian unity and prompt the southern and eastern provinces of the country to break away from the Kyiv government and seek to join the Russian Federation as a new territory to be known as Novorossiya, or "New Russia."
That failed to happen, so the current invasion is an attempt to achieve a similar end using force on a massive scale.
It is left to be seen if this happens and what Vladimir Putin will further do to achieve this aim.
With inputs from agencies
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