The lockdown measures which were due to expire on September 1 in Transnistria have been extended until December 1 on the initiative of the region’s de facto leader Vadim Krasnoselski.

Alexandru Flenchea, former Deputy Prime Minister for Reintegration, criticized Transnistria’s strategy to isolate itself, in particular from the rest of Moldova, suggesting it’s only politically motivated. “With 125 cases in a day, Transnistria has reached similar levels of infection as on the right side of the Nistru. The strategy has clearly failed, but they insist on it out of political ambitions. This means people will continue to be deprived of access to health care, won’t be able to go to work and won’t be able to vote either,” wrote Flenchea.

The former deputy prime minister added that the “survival of thousands of residents of the Cocieri plateau depends exclusively on the good functioning of the local ferry, which has been working over its capacity for six months now. If the level of water in the Nistru drops or if the river freezes over, people will be left without food, medicines and other basic goods”. “It would be the price of Tiraspol’s ambitions and Chisinau’s missed opportunities,” added Flenchea.