AP – April 5, 2024

State security services in Moldova’s Russia-backed breakaway region of Transnistria said Friday that a drone attacked a military unit close to the border with Ukraine, causing minor damage to a radar station but no casualties.

The incident occurred in the region of Rabnita, about 6 kilometers (about 4 miles) from the Ukraine border, the region’s state security ministry said, adding that a criminal investigation has been opened. They did not say who they thought was behind the alleged attack.

Moldova’s Bureau for Reintegration Policies responded by saying that the incident fits “a pattern of provocations” in Transnistria designed to “incite panic and tension” and maintain attention on the region.

Moldova, like Ukraine, is a candidate member for European Union membership, and has repeatedly accused Russia of conducting a “hybrid war” against the country, meddling in local elections, and running vast disinformation campaigns to try to topple the government and derail its path toward full EU membership. Russia has denied the accusations.

The drone incident came after an empty helicopter at a military installation in Transnistria last month was destroyed in what the authorities in Transnistria blamed on a Ukrainian drone strike, but what Moldovan officials said was a staged explosion also meant to inflame tensions.

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Putin’s War Spills Over? Kamikaze Drone Hits Military Facility In Moldova, Russia Demands Probe

Hindustan Times – April 6, 2024

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