Tiraspol, December 26. /Novosti Pridnestrovya/. A fake report about an accident allegedly committed by peacekeepers was concocted by an amateur who is not familiar with the processes that are taking place in the Security Zone. Oleg Belyakov, Сo-Сhairman of the Joint Control Commission from Pridnestrovie, told journalists about this. Recall that on Sunday a fake message appeared on social networks on behalf of the Novosti Pridnestrovya News Agency, which said that an infantry combat vehicle of the Peacekeeping Forces collided with a car in the area of the village of Gura-Bikului, as a result of which an elderly couple was injured.
First of all, the Head of the Pridnestrovian delegation noted that there are no infantry combat vehicles in service with the Joint Peacekeeping Forces. There is neither ICV-1 nor ICV-2. In addition, exercises in the Peacekeeping Forces have not been conducted since the spring.
“The general agreement was reached as part of the Peacekeeping Operation at the beginning of May 2022,” Oleg Belyakov said. - You do remember the events when the Moldovan side conducted exercises with the introduction of armed formations to the Bulboki training ground, where heavy machine guns and mortars were fired. This alarmed the population of the Grigoriopol Region. After that, an agreement was reached that we would freeze the conduct of exercises within the framework of the Peacekeeping Forces for some time. This moratorium has been observed to this day. Although the Moldovan side is not always consistent - in September they conducted regular exercises at the Bulboki training ground using large-caliber systems, violating their obligations, which the Pridnestrovian side made a statement about at a meeting of the Joint Control Commission.
If such an accident happened in the current situation, it would cause an extremely sharp reaction, both diplomatic and public.
“The representatives of the mission of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe would be the first who trumpeted this,” Oleg Belyakov noted. - Representatives of the OSCE are always present in all conflict points. They, like our military observers, give an international assessment of everything that is happening. If military observers assess the degree of conflict and the possibility of an incident developing into a more serious phase, then representatives of the OSCE mission monitor what is happening at the diplomatic level. Nothing of the sort has been established at this time. Again, in the event of such a resonant accident, a rally would have been gathered there very quickly, television would have arrived ...”
However, nothing of the sort is observed. Moreover, it is impossible to hide such an incident from the Joint Military Command and the JCC.
“Our operational duty officers work around the clock,” the Co-Chair of the JCC from Pridnestrovie said. - If something happens with the participation of peacekeepers, first of all, they inform the law enforcement agencies, while the law enforcement agencies on duty first of all call our duty unit. We have an internal connection that unites the entire Security Zone. Information, starting from Rybnitsa and ending with Slobodzeya, can be obtained instantly. If something happened, military observers would come.”
Assessing the incident as a whole, Oleg Belyakov noted that such fakes are aimed primarily at a layman.
“When it is presented as if Russian peacekeepers for some reason turned out to be on the territory of Moldova and committed a traffic accident with a car in which elderly people were injured, a layman would get a little tear in his eye: he would say, “oh, these are peacekeepers,” Oleg Belyakov says. - While from another point of view, any reasonable person might think: how could a vehicle belonging to the Russian Federation end up on the territory of the Republic of Moldova? How did it end up outside the Security Zone? Any sane person would be critical of such a message. While a simple layman will decide that such an incident takes place.
According to the Co-Chairman of the JCC from Pridnestrovie, planting such a fake was intended to discredit the Peacekeeping Forces in the eyes of the population, which, both on the left and the right bank of the Dniester, respects the peacekeepers and their difficult service.
