Invasion is no longer “special operation”

After Russian general Rustam Minnekayev spoke about the objective to build a corridor from Odessa to the separatists in Tiraspol, grenade launchers were used to attack the building of the Security Ministry of the Transnistrian region so as to justify the defensive character of ... the future attack. As a result of the incident, the building was damaged and the windows were broken.

The Transnistrian administration said the event wasn’t a surprise, as Ukrainian sources reported. These said that three days before the incident, the Transnistrian leaders took steps to prepare a safe bunker. The FSB will continue a series of provocative terrorist attacks in the Transnistrian region.

Russia takes intimidation actions

Two radio transmitters served by Russia were destroyed near Mayak village on the left side of the Nistru on April 26. Russian rockets hit the bridge over the Nistru near the Ukrainian town Zatoka.

Russia is preparing a rocket attack on the Transnistrian region, which would cause victims among the civilian population. According to Ukrainian reports, the inhabitants of the separatist region receive messages that are falsely attributed to the Armed Forces and special services of Ukraine. The civilians are urged to leave the region. The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense said Ukraine has nothing to do with these provocations and considers that these were staged by the Russian intelligence services against Ukraine and Moldova.

Tensions on left side of the Nistru

Reaction of Tiraspol. The Transnistrian leader Vadim Krasnoselsky said those who staged that latest attacks – groups of militants from Ukraine - aim to engage Transnistria in the conflict, but they will fail.

Reaction of Chisinau. Maia Sandu convoked the Supreme Security Council. She noted that the authorities follow the situation with caution and vigilance and condemn any attempt to involve the Republic of Moldova into actions that can disturb the peace in the country. “Our analyses show there are tensions between different forces from inside the region, which are interested in destabilizing the situation. This makes the Transnistrian region vulnerable and generates risks to the Republic of Moldova”.

Reaction of Bellingcat. Investigative journalist Christo Grozev said Moscow’s objective is most probably to destabilize the situation in Moldova so as to make it unsuitable for NATO and the EU. The other long-term strategies of the Kremlin in the region are not yet clear.

He noted that this could be the prelude of World War III: “It is hard to imagine that Romania, a NATO member, would ignore Russia’s attempt to attack Moldova and would not defend it.”

Reaction of Kiev. Referring to the incidents, Mykhailo Podolyak, a political adviser to Ukrainian President, said that “Ukraine will definitely ensure the strategic security of the region.”

Suppositions from Odessa about authors of attacks in separatist region

“I think the Transnistrian political, economic, criminal elites realize best: the most serious threat to the power and their existence is the prospect of “liberation” by Russia, said the editor of the publication Dumskaya. “The current state of the “gray area”, a kind of offshore area with Transnistrian boarders in the middle of the continent, is the main source of power and wellbeing for these. If a “corridor” is created, their power will end and the fate of the elites in Crimea and Donbas is the best confirmation of this.”  “rmn” will attack Ukraine only in one case – if the Kremlin instructs the Transnistrian administration to commit suicide.”

Ukraine keeps in touch with Moldova over explosions

Ukrainian presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovych said the rocket attacks in Belgorod-Dnestrovsky are related to a possible Russian offensive in historical Bessarabia. According to him, Ukraine keeps in touch with Moldova over the explosions. The bridge over the Nistru in Zatoka, which was damaged as a result of an attack with Russian rockets, was opened for trips in one direction, said Suspilne.

Moscow threatens with nuclear war

The President of Russia Vladimir Putin, in a meeting with UN Secretary General António Guterres, said that the special military operation in Ukraine was launched in accordance with the UN Charter. In another development, he said he knows who staged the provocation in Ukraine’s Bucha and Russia’s army has nothing to do with the massacre of civilians there.

In parallel, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov intimidated again the world with the risk of a nuclear war, saying that this danger should not be underestimated.

Fleeing from “liberation”

The number of Ukrainian migrants has exceeded 7.7 million, which is 17% of the population, as an IOM report published on April 26 shows. Also, 2.8 million Ukrainians returned to the permanent place of residence: 31% in the northern regions, 20% in Kyiv, 15% in the western region, 12% in the eastern regions, 9% in the central regions. 73% of the repatriated ones do not intend to leave the place of residence in the future.

Partisans in action

In Kreminna in Luhansk, the building where local collaborationists and Russian invaders came together to agree how to bring things in the occupied town in order was blown up. Many of these were killed.