The Pentagon says the U.S. is monitoring events in the Eastern European country of Moldova after the breakaway republic of Transnistria bordering Ukraine said explosions over the past two days hit a radio center and a security headquarters.
The reports of explosions prompted Moldova’s president to convene a meeting of the country’s security council as she vowed to prevent an escalation.
A Russian military commander said Sunday that one goal of the war in Ukraine was to establish a southern corridor to Transnistria — a strip of land with a population of nearly 500,000 that is backed by Moscow and hosts Russian troops.
“Control over the south of Ukraine is another way out to Transnistria, where there are also facts of oppression of the Russian-speaking population,” said Rustam Minnekaev, acting commander of Russia’s Central Military District, according to the Russian news agency Interfax.
