The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration considers that the military drill involving foreign forces that stay illegally on Moldova’s territory and military and paramilitary subdivisions of an unrecognized pseudo-state entity is defiant and inadmissible. The Ministry reacted after the Transnistrian press broadly reported on the theorist threat combating exercises performed by the Operational Group of Russian Troops in concert with the special services of the self-proclaimed Transnistrian republic, IPN reports.

“Judging by the statements made by some of the officials within these military exercises, especially by the way in which these were conducted, including on the Nistru River, by using armored vehicles, it is clear that the real goal of the drill is different than the declared one,” the Ministry says in a press release.

The Ministry notes that the given military exercises were organized without proper information and coordination and can be regarded only as a demonstration of force and defiance of the negotiation and peacekeeping mechanisms. “Such actions flagrantly undermine the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Moldova. The Russian Federation repeatedly pronounced, openly and univocally, in favor of the observance of these principles,” it is said in the press release.

In this connection, the Ministry underlines the imperative necessity of reopening the dialogue, including in the 5+2 format, so as to discuss the resumption of the pullout of the Russian troops and munitions from Moldova’s territory and the transformation of the current peacekeeping mission into a civil multinational mission with international mandate.