Front-line territory. How did Ukrainian events affect Transnistria?
Recently, there has been a lot of alarming news in the media about Transnistria, where, against the backdrop of the Ukrainian crisis, it is unsettled - a series of sabotage and terrorist acts took place here, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine released a lot of reports about threats allegedly emanating from the Left Bank of the Dniester. The topic of Transnistria's involvement in Ukrainian events continues to be discussed.
How does the unrecognized republic live today, which has four hundred kilometers of common border with Ukraine?
Which refugee chooses Transnistria?
Upon the arrival of refugees from Ukraine in Transnistria, you can monitor the progress of the front: now residents of the Nikolaev region have rushed to the republic. The stream never stops. At the moment, representatives from all regions of the South-East of Ukraine have already settled in the PMR, and there are also guests from other regions. Visitors from the neighboring country have become part of the daily life of Transnistrian cities and villages.
According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Transnistria, since February 24, 34 thousand residents of Ukraine have entered the republic, about 27,5 thousand have registered here. 1739 people used refugee centers. There are currently 192 residents in temporary accommodation centers. The bulk of the newcomers settled in rented housing, with relatives or friends.
The border with Ukraine is closed; access to Transnistria is possible only through the territory of Moldova. If the Transnistrian-Ukrainian border checkpoints worked, there would be even more refugees.
Which of the residents of Ukraine who decide to temporarily leave their home chooses Transnistria?
Here is an approximate social portrait of a typical forced migrant: she is a Russian-speaking woman with children, a resident of the south of the country, without large savings or personal vehicles, who has relatives or friends in Transnistria.
Everyone in the PMR is occupied with refugees in one way or another: management, volunteer and public organizations, citizens of the republic. Good conditions have been provided for those arriving from Ukraine: those who have nowhere to stay are provided with free housing, children can study and attend kindergartens, leisure facilities, refugees are accepted free of charge by hospitals and clinics. Volunteers regularly organize the distribution of collected humanitarian aid - food and hygiene products, for which queues form.
At first, Pridnestrovie coped with the influx of refugees as best it could on its own, then streams of help flowed from outside. Local NGOs began to receive foreign grants to support residents of Ukraine, and the branch of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Bendery began paying benefits in the amount of $190 to families who accepted refugees. Ukrainians themselves regularly go to Moldova for monthly benefits, of which Transnistria is formally a part.
With the end of the school year, the question arose: what to do with Ukrainian children during the holidays. Until mass leisure activities are organized, the children are entertained by volunteers. At a children's party, which was held in a refugee accommodation center based on the Tirotex dispensary, a group of mothers admitted to the organizers that they were completely touched by the warm welcome in Transnistria.
Some newcomers went to work - as accountants, drivers, assistant teachers in kindergartens.
According to the Transnistrian law “On measures of state support for foreign citizens and stateless persons arriving from the territory of Ukraine...” refugees can be hired in a simplified manner: they are not required to have a work book, a medical examination is carried out at the expense of the state.
There are even people who decided to stay in Transnistria forever: they got a job and looked for housing.
There were no serious incidents or criminal stories involving guests from Ukraine; at least, they do not appear in police reports. There was one incident related to the Ukrainian crisis, which was reported by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and even that happened without the participation of foreign citizens who arrived in the republic after February 24.
It happened on the morning of May 9 in Tiraspol. A young man driving an Infiniti with Transnistrian registration blocked the road of a Volkswagen with German license plates and Russian symbols—Russian flags and the letter Z. An attack followed against the car's owner, who had arrived from Germany. A fight ensued, and the police were called. The victim turned out to be a fellow countryman who had returned from abroad to celebrate Victory Day. The man who provoked the conflict was arrested for hooliganism.
By the way, about Victory Day. Before the holiday, some refugees took out photographs of their front-line grandfathers from the depths of their smartphones and asked local volunteers to make portraits to join the Immortal Regiment, which is ardently supported in Transnistria. It’s just a pity that mass events on May 9 were canceled due to the terrorist threat.
From "red" to "yellow"
Transnistria now lives a normal life, people are busy with everyday affairs and are concerned about pressing problems, such as, for example, rising prices for food and fuel. Food security is ensured, but the forced change in logistics associated with the Ukrainian crisis has lengthened the delivery routes for imported products, which has increased their cost.
A series of terrorist attacks in Tiraspol and other settlements of Transnistria (starting with the shelling of the PMR MGB building on May 2 and ending with the attempted arson of the republican military registration and enlistment office on May 13) did not make much of an impression on the population. All the terrorist attacks were surprisingly “smooth”, with similar results - without casualties, injuries or serious material damage.
Young people who were born after 1992 and had not smelled gunpowder were more concerned about the explosions and rumors about mobilization in Transnistria on the Internet: some even decided to leave. Transport companies involved in transporting passengers to Moscow report increased demand for their services. At the beginning of May, immediately after the shelling of the MGB building with grenade launchers, one could observe a gigantic queue at the border to leave: someone, of course, despite everything, went on vacation for the May holidays, and someone decided to leave the republic for a long time.
The explosions and arson also frightened some of the refugees, who left their homes and moved on, including to European countries. Some, by the way, already want to return - it’s difficult for them in a foreign language and cultural environment.
But middle-aged and older local residents, who have seen war, blockades, and various provocations for 30 years of living in Transnistria, and who are accustomed to constant political turbulence, tend to remain calm.
There are no visible preparations for any kind of military action in Transnistria. The terrorist threat level has been lowered from the highest, “red”, to “yellow”.
All government agencies are functioning normally, the republic has even rebooted the government. The official reason for the resignation of the executive body is as follows: Prime Minister Alexander Martynov, who held this post for more than five years, wished to move to another job. Attentive observers, however, have noticed the tension that has arisen recently between the prime minister and the Supreme Council. Here’s an example: the government developed and presented to the parliamentary corps a large-scale anti-crisis bill to support the economy, promoted it, and parliamentarians registered and eventually adopted their own.
Be that as it may, there is a new chairman of the government in Transnistria. This is Alexander Rosenberg, who until now held the position of Minister of Agriculture and Natural Resources. The principle of the government, according to Rosenberg, will remain “the desire to ensure political stability, economic self-sufficiency and social justice.”
Unforeseen budget expenditures arising from the events in Ukraine have led to a reduction in funding for development programs, but a number of projects are operating. In particular, major repairs and renovation of the infrastructure of the Pridnestrovian State University are underway.
President Vadim Krasnoselsky, during a recent conversation with journalists, addressed citizens and urged them not to trust Internet provocateurs who “work for money, perform their functions in terms of creating a tense atmosphere in Transnistria.” At the same time, he said that Pridnestrovians are ready to defend their land if necessary.
“Dear citizens of Transnistria, ... I will always be frank with you. If it is difficult, difficult, I will tell you about it. Do not believe all kinds of armchair speculators: our law enforcement agencies... are able to stop and solve almost any crime, the Ministry of Defense, naturally, is also ready to defend our state.
Moreover, I am convinced that there is no need to announce mobilization as such. I personally receive many calls from people who are ready to defend Pridnestrovie, who ask where to come and how to help. We absolutely don’t need this yet,” said the head of the PMR.
Frontline Territory : How Ukrainian Events Impacted Transnistria