Moldova Warns of Russian Plans to Deploy 10,000 Troops Near Ukraine Border
Russia is attempting to deploy up to 10,000 troops in Moldova’s separatist region of Transnistria and hopes to use political interference to enable the buildup, Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean warned, The Gaze reports, citing Financial Times.
Currently, Russia maintains a small military presence in Transnistria—an unrecognized breakaway region bordering Ukraine—where it has backed separatists for more than three decades. However, with Moldova pursuing EU membership and Ukraine controlling access to the region, Moscow’s ability to reinforce its presence is limited.
“They want to consolidate their military presence in the Transnistrian region,” Recean said, citing intelligence that suggests Russia aims to install a pro-Kremlin government through interference in Moldova’s upcoming parliamentary elections this September.
“This is a huge effort to undermine Moldovan democracy,” he added, accusing Moscow of using online propaganda, illicit cash flows, and political financing to influence the electorate. Recean claimed that in 2024 alone, Russia spent the equivalent of 1% of Moldova’s GDP on influence operations.
“You can imagine with 10,000 troops, what the leverage and pressure would be on the southwestern part of Ukraine,” Recean said. “But also close to Romania, which is a NATO member state.”
While only around 1,500 Russian-flagged troops are currently in Transnistria—most of them locally recruited—the Moldovan government believes that Moscow wants to increase its military footprint significantly if a sympathetic government comes to power.
The Russian contingent in Transnistria primarily guards a vast stockpile of Soviet-era weapons. Moldova has repeatedly demanded their withdrawal, calling their presence a violation of its sovereignty.
Despite Kremlin denials or silence on these allegations, Moldova continues to brace for election-related disruptions while advancing its bid to join the EU.
“We’re very cautious because their propaganda, their communication mechanisms, are very powerful. They are spending a lot of money,” Recean said.
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