​UKRAINE INTENDS TO CHANGE PEACEKEEPING OPERATION FORMAT IN TRANSNISTRIA - RUSSIAN MASS MEDIA

The Ukrainian authorities intend to denounce the agreement with Russia, which provides conditions for the stay of its peacekeepers in Transnistria, and, thus, achieve their withdrawal from the conflict zone.

“Having failed in attempts to exclude Russia from the participants of the black sea naval group of operative interaction (Blackseafor), the Kiev authorities have decided to try to take revenge on another track for its anti-Russian policy. Now they intend to seek the withdrawal of the Russian peacekeepers from the Transnistrian Moldovan Republic”, writes the “ITAR-TASS” agency.

According to the agency, starting from June, the current Ukrainian authorities with the filing of its Ministry of Defense “are working on the denunciation issue of agreements with Russia, providing the conditions for the presence of Russian peacekeepers in Transnistria”.

“We are talking about two documents – the agreement on the organization of interstate military traffic and payments for them, and the agreement on transit through the territory of Ukraine, military units of the Russian Federation, temporarily located on the Moldovan territory”, said the agency interlocutor.

According to him, the Kiev authorities, intending to take this step, “are anxious not to damage Ukraine’s reputation as a country-guarantor and mediator in the negotiations on the Transnistrian conflict settlement held in the format “5+2” (Moldova, Transnistria, Russia, Ukraine, OSCE and observers from the EU and the USA).

“In this regard, you may have to look for other ways of troops and cargo transit, for example, to establish an air bridge bypassing Ukrainian airspace. So far it seems unclear about the expressed intent on denunciation of agreements, however if Kiev’s plans are realized, it will be a serious blow to the Ukraine’s prestige as a country – guarantor of Transnistrian settlement process”, the Russian Foreign Ministry reported.

The Chief of the General staff of the Russian Armed Forces, General of the Army, Valeri Gerasimov has previously stated that “Russia will not refuse from participation in the peacekeeping operations in countries where it does this”.

Infotag’s dossier: the peacekeeping operation in Transnistria is held in accordance with the Moldo-Russian Agreement on principles of peaceful settlement of the Transnistrian conflict, signed on July 21, 1992. Today, in the security zone on the Nistru banks peacekeeping forces are located, which are composed of military contingents of Russia (402 soldiers who are part of OGRF), Moldova (355 servicemen) and Transnistria (492 servicemen) and groups of ten officers - Ukrainian military observers. The Moldovan authorities have repeatedly called for the transformation of the peacekeeping operation in the mission of civilian observers under OSCE auspices. Russia and Transnistria were categorically against it, and Ukraine treated with restraint.

The rotation of the Russian peacekeepers contingent, as well as delivery of equipment and objects of life-support of Russian troops is realized through the territory of Ukraine. Russia contains the Operational Group of Russian Forces (OGRF) in Transnistria. OGRF in Transnistria has about 1.5 thousand people of the 8th motorized rifle brigade and anti-aircraft missile regiment.