CHISINAU, April 28. /TASS/. The Russian task force in Transnistria cannot be withdrawn without talking to Moscow about that first, Russian Ambassador to the republic Oleg Ozerov told TASS, commenting on Moldovan authorities’ proposals to replace Russian peacekeepers in the unrecognized republic with an international observer mission.
"Is it possible to move forward on this issue while ignoring the Russian Federation’s position, while ignoring the existing international legal framework? We have questions here. How do you think they can be withdrawn without consulting with the Russian side? How?" Ozerov said.
He recalled that Russian troops are guarding ammunition depots in Cobasna, Transnistria. "Is the Moldovan side capable of independently ensuring the security of these warehouses, which contain tens of thousands of tons of explosives that can no longer be removed <...>? They could explode at any moment, causing a terrible catastrophe," the ambassador said. He recalled that the facilities in Cobasna are Russian property, and that Moscow had previously made "generous offers" to Chisinau regarding the disposal of the ammunition, but these were ignored by the Moldovan side.
The Operational Group of Russian Forces (OGRF) in Transnistria, which numbers approximately 1,000 soldiers and officers, supports the peacekeeping operation and guards warehouses in the village of Cobasna, which contain over 20,000 tons of ammunition, transported there after the withdrawal of Soviet troops from European countries. The process of removing and disposing of the ammunition was blocked by the Transnistrian authorities in 2004 following the deterioration of relations between the two banks of the Dniester.
Moldova insists on the withdrawal of the OGRF and proposes replacing the peacekeepers with a civilian mission under an international mandate. However, the Transnistrian authorities oppose the withdrawal of Russian troops, as the civilian mission failed to prevent an armed conflict in 1992 that killed more than a thousand people, wounded tens of thousands, and displaced them.
Transnistrian President Vadim Krasnoselsky has repeatedly called for the resumption of the "5+2" format negotiations, which have been frozen for over five years. He made this proposal to Moldovan President Maia Sandu, who, after being elected in 2020, announced that she did not intend to meet with the Transnistrian leader. According to Krasnoselsky, negotiations are necessary to ensure peace and security, prevent any kind of provocation, respect human rights, and resolve economic and many other problems between the two banks of the Dniester.