Moldova to join NATO-backed drills in Georgia amid Russian threats
Moldovan troops will take part in the U.S.-led Agile Spirit 25 military exercises in Georgia from July 23 to Aug. 7, the Moldovan Defense Ministry announced on July 17.
Held under NATO auspices, the exercises aim to boost combat readiness and interoperability among allied and partner nations. The announcement follows repeated warnings from Moldovan officials about Russian efforts to destabilize the country.
This year's drills will include personnel from Bulgaria, Georgia, Germany, Lithuania, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Turkey, Ukraine, and the United States.
Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean earlier said that Moscow intends to deploy 10,000 troops to the Russian-occupied Transnistria region and install a pro-Kremlin government in Chisinau.
President Maia Sandu has also warned that Russia could instigate a crisis in Transnistria ahead of Moldova's September parliamentary elections. She said such a move would be aimed at derailing Moldova's pro-European trajectory.
The Moldovan military's participation in the NATO-backed drills is part of its annual defense cooperation plan and reflects growing coordination with Western partners. Moldovan forces have trained under the Agile Spirit program since 2023.
Russia has maintained a military presence in Transnistria since the early 1990s. President Volodymyr Zelensky said in February that up to 1,500 Russian troops remain stationed there.
Moldova has called for the full withdrawal of Russian forces and the peaceful reintegration of Transnistria, describing it as critical to national security and regional stability.
