Persistent attempts of Chisinau to expel Russian peacekeepers from Transnistria did not remain without Moscow's attention. Last Tuesday it became known that Moldova requested the United Nations to include the issue of withdrawal of Russian peacekeepers from Transnistria to the agenda of the 72nd session of the General Assembly (GA), which will begin on September 12. On Friday, August 25, the Ambassador of the Republic of Moldova to Russia Andrei Neguta was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, where Sergey Ryabkov, deputy head of the Russian Foreign Ministry, voiced to him Moscow's opinion on this initiative. In particular, the Moldovan ambassador was told that Russia considers the withdrawal of Russian peacekeepers a provocation that ignores the real reasons for the presence of a limited Russian military contingent on the Dniester, according to the website of the Russian Foreign Ministry.

The operational group of Russian troops stationed on the territory of Transnistria is the successor to the 14th combined arms army, which, after the collapse of the USSR, was transferred to the jurisdiction of Russia. The main tasks of the group are the peacekeeping mission and the protection of ammunition depots. Recall that during the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Eastern European countries in Transdniestria ammunition was brought for further utilization.

At the moment, more than 20 thousand. Tons of ammunition, and the recycling and export that began in 2001 are virtually blocked. Moreover, now Russian peacekeepers in Transdniestria have actually been in blockade after Ukraine blocked their supply on its territory.

Russian peacekeepers were introduced into the zone of the Transnistrian conflict in 1992. Their forces stopped fighting between the Moldovan police and the Transdniestrian militia, and marauders were neutralized.

The initiative of the Moldovan side in the UN became a complete surprise for the Russian Federation and can hardly be considered productive. For the authorities of the unrecognized Transnistrian republic, the presence of Russian peacekeepers is a guarantee of peace. According to the decision of the Constitutional Court of Moldova, this territory is recognized occupied, which allows Chisinau to use military force in relation to Tiraspol.

Without peacekeepers, there will be a war here, the president of Transnistria Vadim Krasnoselsky told the Izvestia newspaper, writes "Rambler / News".

Transnistria sought to secede from the Moldovan SSR even before the collapse of the Soviet Union, fearing the accession of Moldova to Romania on the wave of nationalistic sentiments. 60% of the inhabitants of which are Russians and Ukrainians. In 1992, after the failed attempt by the Moldovan authorities to solve the problem by force, Transnistria became virtually outside the control of Chisinau territory.