CHISINAU, March 9. /TASS/. Explosives for the thwarted terrorist attack in Transnistria were presumably transported from Ukraine through the territory of Moldova, Transnistria’s first TV channel said. The broadcaster receives exclusive footage of the interrogation of one of the suspects.
According to investigators, the attackers planted 8 kilograms of hexogen, screws and nuts in the doors of a car. The car bomb was expected to go off in the center of Tiraspol. The terrorists’ aim was to kill top officials of the unrecognized republic and cause as many casualties as possible.
According to the TV channel six people were involved in the preparations of the prevented attack. Five of them are citizens of Ukraine. The citizenship of the sixth suspect - detainee Vyacheslav Kisnichan - is not specified. Earlier, it was reported that he is a native of Transnistria. He lived in Odessa where he was recruited by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU). The other detainees are Igor Sikaylo, Yury Bondar and Vladimir Grebenyuk. According to investigators they bought a Land Rover car under the guise of refugees from Ukraine. Kisnichan packed it with explosives.
Earlier, Transnistria’s Investigative Committee said that law enforcement agencies had sufficient evidence to charge the suspects with preparations for a terrorist act, espionage, treason, and others crimes.
In April 2022, Transnistria was rocked by a series of terrorist attacks, beginning with the shelling of the State Security Ministry building with grenade launchers. Then, broadcasting antennas were blown up at one of the region’s largest radio and television centers, in the village of Mayak. Attacks were also carried out on military airfields near Tiraspol and Rybnitsa, as well as against the Transnistrian peacekeeping contingent and the premises of an arsenal near the village of Kolbasna, which serves as a depot for storing roughly 20,000 tons of ammunition. No one was hurt during these attacks.
Earlier, Transnistrian President Vadim Krasnoselsky stated that the sabotage had been masterminded from Ukrainian territory. He also blamed the Moldovan secret services for an attempted arson attack on a military enlistment office in Tiraspol. After the attacks, Transnistria instituted the maximum terrorist threat level. On May 25, it was downgraded from red to yellow and remains in effect to date.