Russia's ministry of defence is concerned over the possibility of abrupt conflict escalation in the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic (PMR) and is preparing for the most unfavourable scenarios. To that end, the Operational Group of Russian Forces (OGRF) deployed in the republic held manoeuvres aimed at securing strategic military assets.
According to the press service of the Western Military district, the OGRV being part of it, on Friday over 100 troops were put on high alert. After a 150-kilometre march to the ammunition depots in Kolbasna they committed to a training fight against hypothetical terrorists, who tried to capture weapons and ammunition there.
The ministry underscores that the OGRV military acted in the conditions closely approximated to those in a battle. The anti-terror detachment successfully coped with the assigned mission: «In the course of the exercise aimed at eliminating hypothetical terrorists special attention was given to the enhancement of coherence when fighting in open areas within sub-units and small tactical groups (in twos and in threes).» Not only the OGRV troops, but also the Russian peacekeepers deployed in the conflict zone are working through such scenarios. The NG source in the ministry of defence says the increased activities of the Russian troops in Pridnestrovie are explained by both scheduled summer training and real threats emerging in the conflict zone.
In particular, he says he has information on a plan to liquidate Pridnestrovie in a military way. The plan has been allegedly developed by US special services with the involvement of defence ministries of Ukraine, Moldova and Romania. It is in the context of this plan that Kiev denounced last week the agreement on transit of the Russian military and their cargoes through Ukraine's territory to Pridnstrovie. In addition, according to him, Ukrainian, Moldovan and Romanian militants are planning to carry out diversionary and terrorist operations aimed to capture ammunition depots in Pridnestrovie, which are now guarded by the Russian troops. Simultaneously, there will be large-scale provocations causing civilian casualties on the Dniester's left bank, which aims to discredit our peacekeepers. These circumstances will provide Kishinev with an official pretext to quit the peacekeeping process. Moldova's authorities will seek the assistance of the European Union and Nato. By that time a Moldo-Romanian peacekeeping battalion will seem to have been prepared to replace the Russian Blue Helmets. The formation of such unit was officially announced by Moldova's minister of defence, Viorel Cibotaru, on 23 May in Romania, where he was on official visit. Following his meeting with his Romanian colleague, Mircea Dusa, he said the battalion might eventually include soldiers from Ukraine and Poland.
Lieutenant General Yuri Netkachev, who in 1992 was commander of the 14th Army deployed in Pridnestrovie, does not exclude a use-of-force solution to the conflict either. «It greatly affects the geopolitical interests of Moscow, and I am sure the Russian leadership will do its best to stand their positions in the region and will not allow the escalation of the conflict. Netkachev recollects that Kishinev, with the support of Romanian volunteers and hirelings, has already tried to conquer the PMR at the point of the bayonet. «They failed then, they will fail now despite the fact that Ukraine is trying 'to cut off the oxygen' for our contingent," Netkachev expresses confidence. He shares the opinion of the coordinator of the group of general inspectors of Russia's ministry of defence, Army General Yuri Yakubov, who under Ukraine's blockade admits the possibility of supplying our peacekeepers through an air bridge. «Of course, there is a serious problem of flying over Ukraine's territory. Most likely, near Odessa. The distance from the Black Sea shore to the Pridnstrovian border is less than 100 km. Ukraine was reported to have deployed S-300 anti-aircraft missiles there. However, I do not believe Ukraine's anti-aircraft defence will dare to shoot down our military planes flying to Tiraspol," assured the expert.
While the situation is aggravating around Pridnestrovie, Romania and the USA are beginning military manoeuvres near the border with Ukraine's Odessa region. That is the purpose why the guided-missile destroyer USS Ross entered the Black Sea on 23 May. The press release of the US 6th Fleet says the presence of USS Ross aims at «providing security» and enhancing «the cooperation in the Black Sea» for «peace and prosperity in the region.» Ross is equipped with the Aegis anti-missile system and Tomahawk cruise missiles.
