This week it became known that the runaway ex-president of Transnistria Evgeny Shevchuk lives in the capital of Moldova under protection.

In Transdniestria it is believed that the Moldovan authorities can use Shevchuk against Tiraspol and Moscow in the context of the forthcoming blockade of Transnistria and the possible withdrawal of Russian peacekeepers from the banks of the Dniester. "Newspaper. Ru »understood the situation.

The Moldavian online edition of Newsmaker reported this week that the former president of Transnistria Evgeny Shevchuk currently lives in one of the elite houses in the center of Chisinau. This information was confirmed to journalists by the neighbors of the ex-president. To publish the exact address of the house where the former Transnistrian leader now resides, the publication was considered unethical.

Earlier, Shevchuk, together with his wife Nina Shtanski, the former head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Pridnestrovskaia Moldavskaia Respublika (PMR), secretly escaped from the unrecognized state, which he ran from 2011 to 2016.

The fact is that law enforcement bodies of the PMR initiated several criminal cases against Shevchuk, and the local Supreme Council decided to remove the immunity status from the former president.

Now the new residence of the disgraced Transnistrian politician in Chisinau is guarded around the clock by "people in civilian clothes", Moldovan media say. This same guard accompanies the ex-president, when he moves around the city by car Mercedes GLE 450.

Earlier, the newspaper. Ru "wrote that during the presidency Shevchuk had good relations with the Moldovan oligarch Vladimir Plahotniuc and the latter can use this connection to pressure Transnistria in the interests of Chisinau. Moldavia considers the PMR to be its own territory.

For the Russian influence in Moldova and the PMR, the situation may turn out to be sad. This causes panic in the Transnistrian region itself.

"To be honest, Russia does not solve anything in Transnistria. She herself withdrew from the processes taking place in the region, "a source from Gazeta, close to the leadership of the unrecognized republic. - Orientation towards Russia in Transnistria is just a picture. Tomorrow, the republic can easily reorient to the European Union, if necessary. Solve economic interests of Sheriff Holding.

Today, the "Sheriff" businessman Viktor Gushan has great influence in the region. Vadim Krasnoselsky, who now holds the post of PMR President, is considered a loyal person of the holding. Earlier, "Sheriff" could only affect the economic situation in the country and partly on the political power - the previous presidents were independent of the company.

"Moscow could have a story of confrontation between Shevchuk and Gushan ended up in peace, could affect the situation," the Gazeta source continues.. "But she did not do anything.". And Plahotniuc, therefore, got a trump card in his hands ".

The assets of Vladimir Plahotniuc are concentrated outside of Moldova - in the European Union and the United States. This explains the anti-Russian course of the current Moldovan authorities.

When Chisinau needs something to be bargained in the European Union or the US, local politicians actively take it to remind that it is Moldova that "will hold back the Russian tanks when they go west".

Moldovan President Igor Dodon, who at the end of last year in the elections positioned himself as a pro-Russian politician, performs mostly representative functions. Dodon has come into conflict with the pro-Western government and part of parliament.

The split in the ruling elite of Moldova became evident in May, when five Russian diplomats were expelled from the country. President Dodon strongly condemned the decision of the authorities of his own country, but this limited himself to.

Moscow is also concerned about this state of affairs. "The situation in the Transnistrian settlement continues to be complicated," Maria Zakharova said on July 14 at a traditional briefing at the Russian Foreign Ministry. According to her, "the positive potential created by the two meetings of Moldovan President Igor Dodon and the leader of Transnistria Vadim Krasnoselsky in January and March of this year, in fact, is wasted".

At the same time, Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin held talks with Moldovan Ambassador to Russia Andrei Negutsev. In addition, the Russian delegation intends to arrive in Moldova on the 25th anniversary of the Transnistrian conflict in August. Obviously, negotiations will be held there about the rapidly changing situation in the region, which should be prepared not only for Chisinau but also for Moscow.

Suddenly, a sharp statement followed at the end of last week from the Russian State Duma. An official statement was adopted in which parliamentarians called on the Moldovan government and the Ukrainian authorities to abandon any form of pressure on Transnistria and actions to organize its blockade.

In addition, the deputies declared that there was no alternative to a peacekeeping operation in Transnistria and condemned any unilateral appeals for its termination or revision of the current procedure for its conduct, as well as any actions "directed against the stable work of the Joint Control Commission" (JCC, peacekeeping operation management body). A contingent of Russian peacekeepers is stationed in the PMR.

The Duma's speech followed in response to statements by Moldovan officials regarding the control of the Transnistrian-Ukrainian border. Now the border posts between the PMR and Ukraine are controlled by the border and customs services of the unrecognized republic. No official representatives of Moldova are admitted there..

Since the spring of this year, Moldova began to speculate that Moldovan border guards and customs officers will control the flow of passengers and goods coming to Transnistria. Posts for them are planned to be organized, including in the territory of Ukraine. Kiev has already given its consent.

President Dodon promised that these posts will not affect the economic situation in the PMR, but will contribute to productive relations between Transnistria and Moldova. In turn, the Transnistrian authorities fear that the organization of Moldovan posts will ultimately lead to a complete economic blockade of the unrecognized republic: Moldovans at their own will be able not to let specific citizens and goods across the border.

By June, the first Moldovan post appeared on the border crossing "Kuchurgany". The crossing is located on the Odessa-Tiraspol motorway. This is the busiest automobile route leading to the PMR. It is on this basis that the main commodity turnover of the region. However, for almost a month and a half the Moldovan post has not started its work. Officially, Moldovan officials say that the problem is "technical". Without details.

Repeated statements about the imminent launch of the Moldovan post "Kuchurgany" sounded after the escape of Shevchuk from the PMR to Moldova.

According to the source of Gazeta, a new wave of statements about the Moldovan border posts is a subject of bargaining between Chisinau, on the one hand, and Moscow and Tiraspol, on the other.

The Moldovan authorities are probably trying to negotiate a reduction or a change in the format of the Russian peacekeeping mission in Transdniestria.

Chisinau has already partially blocked the work of the JCC, sending five Russian diplomats who carried out tasks within the framework of this commission. The key goal of the Moldovan leadership is to transfer the military mission to the police or civil. But in the eyes of the West, it can be imagined as the very victory over the "Russian tanks" - even if this increases the chances of a sharp escalation of the situation around Transnistria.

Alexander Rybin.