How events in Moldova’s breakaway Transnistria region raised fears of Russian interference

By STEPHEN McGRATH
Associated Press

Since Russia invaded Ukraine two years ago, fears have risen in neighboring Moldova that it could also be in Moscow’s crosshairs. Like Ukraine, Moldova is a former Soviet republic that has aligned itself with the West and aspires to join the European Union. And both countries hope to eventually reintegrate Russian-speaking breakaway territories that view Moscow as their protector. Last week, an empty helicopter at a military installation in Moldova’s breakaway region, Transnistria, was destroyed in what Transnistrian officials blamed on a Ukrainian drone strike but what Moldovan authorities allege was a staged explosion meant to inflame tensions. Moldovan leaders contend it’s part of a broader Russian effort to derail its EU aspirations.