CHISINAU, October 9. /TASS/. The Moldovan authorities are taking advantage of the conflict in Ukraine to put pressure on Transnistria, the president of the unrecognized republic, Vadim Krasnoselsky, said at a meeting with Britain’s ambassador to Moldova, Fern Horine, in Tiraspol.

"Moldova is taking advantage of the situation in Ukraine, thus aggravating the already difficult situation of the Transnistrians," Krasnoselsky was quoted as saying by his press service. He briefed the British diplomat on unjustified restrictions Transnistrian economic entities were experiencing. He slammed them as "a clear violation of the rights and freedoms of the republic's residents." Krasnoselsky also said that the conflict in Ukraine, which closed its border with Transnistria, "seriously disrupted logistics, complicated the fulfillment of obligations to foreign partners, limited supplies to the republic, and deprived it of some markets."

The Transnistrian leader also reviewed the assistance provided by the authorities to Ukrainian refugees.

"During the conflict 290,000 refugees passed through Transnistria and 45,000 of them stayed in the tiny country for a long time. Many purchase housing and find employment. A total of 2,200 Ukrainians have used temporary accommodation centers. Currently, about 60 people live in such a center at the expense of the Transnistrian government. Children from Ukraine go to pre-school childcare centers, schools and institutions of extra education, use medical services and receive food - all free of charge," he explained.

Earlier, Krasnoselsky addressed the UN and the OSCE with a message to complain about the tightening of the transportation and economic blockade of Transnistria, which threatened the region with a humanitarian catastrophe. Since the election of the Moldovan President Maia Sandu, Chisinau has ignored the negotiation process and defaulted on the commitments made at the negotiations on the "five-plus-two platform" (Moldova, Transnistria, the OSCE, Russia, Ukraine, as well as EU and US observers).