Chisinau’s warning: “Russia is preparing destabilization in the Transnistrian region” / Case study: “Drone attack” from a military unit in Transnistria. The experts’ conclusions

Chisinau says the March 17 incident in Transnistria, which it then claimed was a “drone attack” on a military unit, was deliberately provoked with the aim of creating panic and maintaining tension on both banks of the Dniester, and the images broadcast were video montage, write open.md. The Political Bureau of Reintegration from the Republic of Moldova warned, on Monday, that Russia is preparing for the next period more provocative and destabilizing actions in the Transnistrian region and in the Security Zone, following the model of the March 17 incident.

The Political Reintegration Bureau from Chisinau reported on Monday that the relevant institutions analyzed the video images broadcast on various social networks and in the mass media from the left of the Dniester with the incident claimed by Transnistria on March 17. Following the checks, it was concluded that the broadcast materials contain obvious elements of video montage, indicating that the helicopter fire was caused by other factors than the drone that appears in the images, say the Chisinau authorities, quoted by deschide.md.

According to the cited sources, the incident was deliberately provoked with the aim of creating panic and maintaining tension in society on both banks of the Dniester.

Also, Chisinau warned that Russia is preparing for the next period more actions of provocation and destabilization in the Transnistrian region and in the Security Zone, following the model of the March 17 incident.

“From the information we have, it is important to inform the public that, in the coming period, more such actions are planned by the Russian Federation, in the perimeter of the Transnistrian region and the Security Zone. In the absence of the possibility to attack the Republic of Moldova militarily, such actions are aimed at increasing panic, inducing mistrust in society and weakening the economy. We emphasize that such actions have no real consequences and do not represent a real danger for citizens, but are planned only to scare people,” the Reintegration Political Bureau said.

The moment of the attack claimed by Transnistria

The Transnistrian region announced on March 17 that it had been attacked militarily, with local media writing that a military unit in Tiraspol had been attacked with kamikaze drones.

A video of the moment a small kamikaze drone hits and destroys a Mi-8MT helicopter has started circulating on the Internet. From the images it can be seen that the helicopter in question was not one in use, but appeared to be non-functional and seriously damaged even before the impact.

The reintegration policy office of the Republic of Moldova has since qualified the incident as an “attempt to cause fear and panic in the region”.