Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his country had intercepted Russian intelligence plans to destroy Moldova.
Speaking to European Union leaders in Brussels, Mr Zelensky said he had recently told Moldovan President Maia Sandu about the alleged plan.
“I informed her that we intercepted the Russian secret service’s plan to destroy Moldova,” Zelenskyi said through a translator.
He said the documents show “who, when and how” the plan would “break Moldova’s democracy and establish control over Moldova.”
Zelenskyi said the plan is very similar to Russia’s plan to take over Ukraine.
Because Moldova’s secret service said on Thursday that Russia is acting to destabilize the country.
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy will address the European Parliament on February 9
Maia Sandu, President of Moldova, during a press conference in Chisinau on January 31
Transnistria, highlighted, is being deployed with Russian troops. Russia may try to engage with the breakaway region of Moldova by launching an offensive through southern Ukraine
Zelenskyi said he did not know whether Moscow ultimately ordered the plan to be carried out.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said last week that the West was considering turning Moldova into “another Ukraine”.
He said the West was backing pro-Western Ms Sandu’s 2020 election, claiming she was keen to bring the country into NATO, merge Moldova with Romania and was “prepared for almost anything”.
Moldova’s intelligence and security service today responded to Zelenskyy’s earlier comments, adding: “SIS confirms that both from the information provided by our Ukrainian partner and from our operational activities, there were subversive activities aimed at undermining Moldova , to destabilize and … be contrary to public order.’
In December, Moldova’s national intelligence service said Russia could launch a new offensive this year with the goal of creating a land corridor through southern Ukraine to the Moldovan-backed breakaway region of Transnistria.
Transnistria seceded after a civil war in 1992, but is not recognized by most countries.
It stretches about 400 kilometers from the eastern bank of the Dniester River to the border with Ukraine.
Russia nominally has about 1,500 troops as “peacekeepers” in the breakaway region.
MEPs cheered as Zelenskyy spoke at the European Parliament in Brussels this morning
Zelenskyy was greeted with a standing ovation by EU leaders in Brussels today.
The Ukrainian president is on his second trip abroad since the outbreak of the war in February 2022.
The leader pushed for additional aid in the form of modern fighter jets and long-range missiles.
After visits to London and Paris, he told MEPs in Belgium: “We are defending ourselves against the most anti-European force in the modern world – we are defending ourselves, our Ukrainians on the battlefield, with you.”
He added: “I must thank you personally for your continued support for our country and our aspirations, our aspirations to live in a united, free Europe.”
Meanwhile, the Russian embassy in London made fun of “the ex-comedian in the green sweatshirt who is now touring Europe”.
Said: “Zelensky’s staunch pleas for the values of ‘freedom’ and ‘human rights’ that Kiev claims to be fighting for were downright hypocritical.
US officials warned before the war that Putin might try to provoke Transnistria
READ MORE: Russia seeks to ‘destabilize’ breakaway Moldova region on Ukraine border, Kiev warns after two blasts spark ‘false flag’ fears
Attacks between 25 and 27 April 2022 in Transnistria alarmed observers who speculated that Russia wanted to provoke its own Russian soldiers stationed in the region.
Before the war, US officials said Russia could use a false flag attack in Transnistria as a casus belli to invade Ukraine.
After the outbreak of war, a series of attacks at the end of April 2022 again raised suspicion.
The headquarters of the Ministry of State Security in Tiraspol, the region’s capital, was hit by explosions on April 25.
According to initial reports, the explosions were caused by rocket-propelled grenades, which were used only by a few armies, including Russia.
In the evening, the Tiraspol airport took advantage of a possible drone attack.
The next day, two explosions knocked out radio antennas used to broadcast Russian transmitters in Maiac, a small town about 12 km west of the Ukrainian border.
Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak warned that Russia wants to destabilize the breakaway region of Transnistria.
He said: Russia wants to destabilize the Transnistria region and indicates that Moldova will have to wait for “guests”.
“Good news, Ukraine will definitely take care of the region’s strategic security. But we have to work as a team.”
The attacks continued with more explosions at a former airport Vărăncău and a drone attack in Vladimirovca.
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Elizabeth Cabrera is an author and journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a talent for staying up-to-date on the latest news and trends, Elizabeth is dedicated to delivering informative and engaging articles that keep readers informed on the latest developments.
