Moldova, Transnistria tighten border controls (report)
Fears about the escalation of the conflict were amplified by a series of attacks on pro-Russian territory on April 23 and 24, and at the crossing point Varnița, on the Moldovan side, and Bender, on the Transnistrian side, the hand of the car became everything. Longer.
At the wheel of an old car, registered in Transnistria, Mikail is waiting to go home. In front of him is a long line of other cars. “It’s for the security of Transnistria,” says the 50-year-old man. ” ., but on our part they are selective ”.
A policeman who has been working at this crossing point since 2014 especially notices a change in the other direction: “Before, Transnistria controlled only the entrances, now it also controls the exits. And they added a mobile station. “
However, Mikail is not worried, he is happy with his fate and rejects the idea of involving Transnistria in the conflict. As proof, he is hosting refugees from Ukraine: “The country has received them as its own, why do you want to attack Odessa? Not…”
Anastasia is one of those refugees and initially felt safe in Transnistria: in general, yes, but given the news, we don’t plan to go any further. “
The attacks in late April caused him panic and fear. For now, however, he returns to Bender with the two boys: “I came to withdraw money, only in Moldova the bank allows me to receive and withdraw money to live in Bender.”
And if the banks do not see the head of so much work, for 10 days and the Moldovan passport issuing office is very busy.
“Many have already left …”
After last week’s explosions in Transnistria, the Republic of Moldova tightened security measures in the self-proclaimed state area, and many of the inhabitants reportedly left. Others are preparing to leave, such as Marina, a young woman from Tiraspol who came to Varnița to get a Moldovan passport for her sister:
“In reality, we do not feel safe, even if the news says that people are only passing through for administrative purposes or to see their relatives. I don’t think so, I think many have already left, and others are waiting to get their act in order and leave!
On Instagram, I follow several bloggers from Transnistria, and those who were able to do so went to Europe, for example to Italy. Because we don’t really know what’s going to happen tomorrow. I have an advantage! I already have several options to leave and work for three or six months. I would feel better. My mother, I don’t know: she has a serious job here, she works for the Sheriff. But we shouldn’t talk too much about it, and she can’t leave everything and leave suddenly. We are also trying to get my sister and her son back from Russia, and this is very complicated. She doesn’t have a roof over her head, her husband is a contract soldier, he was enlisted … ”
Translated by Antonia Dinu, after the article published by rfi.fr