Moldova disputes claim of drone strike in Transnistria, says it is attempt at 'provocation'
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Moldova's Bureau of Reintegration disputed claims on March 18 that a drone struck a military base in Transnistria, the Russian-controlled region in Moldova.
Local Telegram channels claimed on March 17 that a drone struck a military base in Tiraspol, the capital of the Russian-occupied region, and potentially destroyed a helicopter.
The bureau said that the "military technique in the images has not been functional for several years" but did not clarify which "technique" it referred to.
It added that "the incident in question is an attempt to provoke fear and panic in the region."
Transnistria borders Ukraine's Odesa Oblast and is internationally recognized as part of Moldova. Russian troops have occupied Transnistria since the early 1990s when Russia invaded the region under the pretext of protecting ethnic Russians.
Vadim Krasnoselsky, the Russian proxy leader in Transnistria, called for increased military drills and heightened readiness in January in what he claimed was a response to alleged provocations from Chisinau.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry said that Moscow would "consider with attention" the appeal of authorities from the Moscow-controlled Moldovan region of Transnistria for "protection."
Moldova signed a bilateral defense deal with France earlier in March during a meeting between French President Emmanuel Macron and his Moldovan counterpart Maia Sandu.
In comments following the meeting, Macron pledged "unwavering support" to Moldova in the face of the Russian threat.
