Moldova is monitoring its breakaway pro-Russian region of Transdniestria for any sign of escalating tensions


FILE PHOTO: A Russian serviceman walks past the Operational Group of Russian Forces headquarters in Tiraspol

Tue, March 22, 2022, 

By Alexander Tanas

CHISINAU (Reuters) - Moldova is monitoring its breakaway pro-Russian region of Transdniestria for any sign of escalating tensions following Russia's invasion of neighbouring Ukraine, Foreign Minister Nicu Popescu said on Tuesday.

Transdniestria is a narrow strip of land held by pro-Russian separatists that runs along the east of Moldova and comes to within about 25 miles (40 km) of the Ukrainian port of Odesa.

Russian troops are stationed there, despite repeated calls by Moldovan President Maia Sandu for them to leave.

Ukraine fears Transdniestria could be used as a new front, putting further pressure on Odesa.

"So far the situation is calm. We have not seen any movement towards escalation," said Popescu said at the European parliament.

"Given what happened in the region before, we as a government cannot rule out any options and must consider the full range of scenarios for the development of events including negative ones."

Russian peacekeepers appeared in Transdniestria after it fought a brief war with Moldova in 1992 and declared itself an independent state. It remains unrecognised by any country, including Russia.

In early February, Russian forces held military drills in Transdniestria against the backdrop of a Russian troop buildup near eastern Ukraine that led to the Feb. 24 invasion.

The war has pushed Moldova to speed up a bid to join the European Union and piled huge pressure on its economy by forcing more than 331,000 refugees across the border from Ukraine, of which around 100,000 have remained in the country.

On Tuesday, gas importer Moldovagaz warned that the country also faced a potential energy price crunch that could see what it pays for gas from Russia rise to $1,000 per 1,000 cubic meters in April from the current level of $547 due to a sharp rise in gas prices in Europe.

But the head of Moldovagaz Vadim Cheban told journalists the company:"will not rush to demand an increase in the gas tariff for consumers".

(Writing by Alessandra Prentice; Editing by Nick Macfie)

Refugee crisis strains Moldova's healthcare system - minister


FILE PHOTO: People fleeing Russia's invasion of Ukraine rest in a temporary refugee centre in Chisinau

Tue, March 22, 2022

WARSAW (Reuters) - The arrival of hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian refugees in Moldova is putting huge pressure on its health care system and it has appealed for help from the European Union and U.N. agencies, the country's health minister said on Tuesday.

More than 331,000 refugees have entered Moldova since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24 and of them 100,000 are still in the country, Ala Nemerenco told a joint press conference with the World Health Organization (WHO), streamed live from Chisinau.

Moldova, a small former Soviet republic sandwiched between Ukraine and EU member Romania, is one of Europe's poorest countries and has a total resident population of just 2.6 million people. Like Ukraine it aspires to join the EU and NATO.

"Obviously the resources of the country are limited and we wouldn't want this to affect or become a burden for the citizens of the Republic of Moldova," Nemerenco said.


"That is why we have addressed all our partners to ask for support in this situation," she said. "Unfortunately these events without any precedent here are really very serious and put our health system under very big pressure."

Despite EU offers of help, Nemerenco said some Ukrainians with various illnesses preferred to stay in Moldova for language reasons and to remain physically close to Ukraine.

Addressing the same news conference, WHO Europe chief Hans Kluge praised Moldova's role in taking in refugees and said he was seeking urgent assistance for Chisinau from key donors including the EU.

Latest U.N. data on Tuesday showed more than 3.5 million people have now fled abroad from the war in Ukraine, including 2.1 million to Poland. Romania, Hungary and Slovakia, which also border Ukraine, have also taken in large numbers.

(Reporting by Karol Badohal, Editing by Jennifer Rigby and Gareth Jones