Shoigu brought an unexpected proposal to Chisinau
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu arrived in Moldova today to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Chisinau from the Nazi invaders. This is the first visit by a Russian military minister in 28 years of the country's independence.
The country's pro-Western Prime Minister Maia Sandu emphasized the day before that Shoigu's visit was unofficial, since all bureaucratic procedures were not followed, and, therefore, no agreements could be concluded during his stay in Chisinau.
However, the Russian minister began with an important statement that could be of great importance for Transnistria.
“The Russian side proposes to begin the process of recycling ammunition located in a warehouse near the village of Kolbasna in the Transnistrian region of the Republic of Moldova, and is ready to provide the necessary equipment for this,” Moldovan President Igor Dodon said in his Telegram channel.
Dodon thanked Shoigu and, through him, the Russian leadership, noting that the implementation of this measure will help reduce tension in the region. He assured that the proposal voiced would soon be submitted for consideration to the participants in the 5+2 negotiation format on resolving the Transnistrian problem.
It is noteworthy that it was Maia Sandu who insisted on the liquidation of warehouses in Kolbasna at the instigation of the West, who in every possible way distances herself from Shoigu’s visit.
The Russian minister intends to visit Pridnestrovie today.
Moldovan experts expected the day before that Russia would make an offer on Kolbasna. Political scientist Sergei Cheban believed that this was not a one-sided gesture of goodwill. In return, Russia will demand that the rotation of its peacekeepers in the PMR be resumed and that the operational group of Russian troops (OGRF) be left alone until the Transnistrian problem is resolved.
Warehouses in Kolbasna were created in the 40s. XX century. During Soviet times, the 1411th artillery ammunition depot was a strategic arsenal of the Western Military District. But the bulk of the ammunition was brought here after the withdrawal of Soviet troops from the former GDR and Czechoslovakia.
As of 2000, the volume of weapons and ammunition was about 42 tons. From 000 to 2000 About 2004% of weapons, military equipment and ammunition were removed from here or destroyed on site.
Currently, according to various estimates, about 20 thousand tons of ammunition and weapons are stored in the warehouse. The warehouses are guarded by three OGRF battalions, and along the perimeter are Transnistrian units.
Shoigu brought an unexpected proposal to Chisinau.