Failed mobilization in Transnistria lowers security risks for Odesa - region chief

The threat to Odesa region posed by unrecognized Transnistria has decreased after a mobilization campaign in the breakaway region failed. Locals feared that the area’s Moscow handlers could deploy them to the war with Ukraine as cannon fodder, while many potential recruits left the de-facto Moscow-controlled territory.

The chief of the Odesa Regional Military Administration, Serhii Bratchuk, commented on the latest developments for Radio NV, Ukrinform reports.

"Transnistrians believe that Russia, as always, will use them as cannon fodder, so no one wants to become minced meat… So after several provocations (by the Russian special services - ed.), including the shelling of the local State Security Ministry, many Transnistrians rushed to flee the territory for Ukraine or Moldova. Obviously, the resignation of the so-called ‘Transnistrian government’ was caused by the failed mobilization as their Russian handlers haven’t achieved the result they expected," Bratchuk said.

Speaking of Transnistrian saboteurs potentially coming to Odesa region, the RMA spokesman noted that the Odesa District Defense Force is thoroughly monitoring the situation in Odesa and the border areas where most of the newcomers settled down, including potential members of sabotage and reconnaissance groups.

"During the first attempts to destabilize the situation in the region, some of these individuals were detained by the Security Service and Defense Force. Some of the arrests have been made public, while others will be announced later. Not everything is reported immediately in the interests of the investigation," he said.

Describing the situation in the areas bordering Transnistria, the RMA spokesman stated that as long as this region is controlled by Moscow, “certain sources of tension will be present here. And this is understandable. But there will be no second front."

As reported, the self-proclaimed authorities of Transnistria lowered the level of threat from red to yellow. They failed to mobilize the population or restore a military airfield and equipment in Tiraspol, as Moscow had demanded. After that, the self-proclaimed "president" of Transnistria sacked the "government."