The Security and Intelligence Service (SIS) calms things down and says that the situation in the Transnistrian region is stable and the dialogue between the two banks of the Nistru is ensured by the Reintegration Policies Bureau. However, according to the SIS chief Alexandru Musteață, the authorities’ vigilance is maximal given the ongoing war close to the country’s borders and Russia’s clear strategy for directing its troops to the border with the Republic of Moldova, IPN reports.
Alexandru Musteață noted that the situation in the Transnistrian region is attentively monitored by the Moldovan authorities and there are no signs that the situation can be destabilized there. Nevertheless, the war in Ukraine makes the Moldovan authorities be on full alert, especially after Russian officials made statements about the direction or Russian troops to the border with Moldova.
“Amid the conflict in Ukraine, Moldova became a transit country from economic viewpoint for the population flow and also as regards smuggling. The Transnistrian region became a point that holds interest to everyone. What we see is that the situation is stable. We, the Government want peace and the peaceful settlement of the Transnistrian conflict, based on negotiations. There is a dialogue, at the level of the Reintegration Policies Bureau. The Joint Control Commission has meetings, discussions. There is a dialogue. But the military conflict is several hundred kilometers away from the border and one of the participants in the conflict has a clear intention to direct its troops to the border with the Republic of Moldova. We realize that we must brace for everything,” Alexandru Musteață stated in the program “Emphasis on Today” on TVR Moldova channel.
He said the phenomenon of false bomb threats is designed to destabilize the situation in Moldova and to cause panic in society. The protocol of intervention in case of bomb scares was modified and a risk assessment mechanism was instituted. The mechanism is based on three alert levels and the expert services intervene based on the risk level. Most of the bomb hoaxes concerned courts of law.
“But there were targeted a number of locations, not only courts of law. This shows that different goals are being pursued. First of all, anxiety is created in society and the people become anxious and stressed. Secondly, it is tested the authorities’ reaction capacity as there is a protocol according to which action is taken. The population is mobilized, the area is fenced and the people are evacuated. Another goal is to diminish the vigilance of the responsible institutions. But we will not reduce vigilance. The protocols are reviewed and an analysis group is formed,” said Alexandru Musteață.
According to the General Police Inspectorate, over 880 false bomb threats were reported in Moldova so far this year. The damage caused to the state by such hoaxes was estimated at over 2.2 million lei.
