Expert: Russian troops will be in Transnistria until it is beneficial to Russia
The Operational Group of Russian Forces (OGRF), which is located in the northeastern part of Moldova, will not leave the unrecognized Transnistria, which borders Ukraine, until it is beneficial to the Russian Federation, as indicated by an expert, Volodymyr Kravchenko, in an article written for ZN.UA. "Russian troops will be in Transnistria until it is beneficial to Russia," the author of the article quoted the Ukrainian special representative on Transnistria settlement issues, Viktor Kryzhanovskiy, as saying.
As outlined in the article, there are four reasons for this.
First, the value for Moscow of OGRF’s presence in the unrecognized republic lies in demonstrating the tricolor and the presence of another Russia military outpost, which indicates Russia's dominance in this region.
Secondly, the presence of Russian soldiers in the unstable region gives the Kremlin political leverage over Chisinau, where the government declares that their course is towards European integration.
Thirdly, the Russian military group in Transnistria also serves a base for conducting radio-electronic intelligence surveillance against Ukraine, as well as a bridgehead for destabilizing the Odessa region, allowing for a penetration channel for Russian subversive and reconnaissance groups into our country.
Finally, fourthly, OGRF is also a means of influencing Tiraspol, where local politicians, even pro-Russian ones, are displaying a tendency to act independently.
According to experts, the presence of OGRF in the region contributes not to the settlement of the Transnistria conflict, but to its conservation. What is beneficial for the Kremlin is the existence of another source of instability which increases the value of Russia as a geopolitical player.
As previously reported, the Prime Minister of Moldova, Pavel Filip, demanded the withdrawal of Russian troops from Transnistria during the UN General Assembly.