Veterans of the Transnistrian armed conflict expressed their dissatisfaction with the inaction of the Moldovan authorities in resolving their social problems. On Tuesday, at a press conference held at News Agency INFOTAG, Anatol Bizgu, Chairman of the Movement of Refugees from Transnistria, addressed all branches of government with a demand to show interest and care to the problems of the veterans.

“In 1991-1992, Moldova was involved into a war with Russia. We are seeing a similar aggression now in Ukraine. Thousands of people then stood up for the defense of the fatherland - policemen, carabineers, volunteers and military personnel. Thousands of families fled from their homes. Then there started to appear the disabled. They needed help then and they need it now. But what we see from the authorities is a zero action. We are being ignored,” Bizgu stated.  

According to him, the National Council for Veterans' Problems, created under the Prime Minister, is not a really working structure.

“There is an Adviser on veterans’ affairs under the Prime Minister -  Constantin Covrig, but he does not have authority or resources. We must follow the path of Ukraine and Georgia, where structures for veterans' issues are part of the executive power branch,” Bizgu said.

Bizgu says the authorities are putting pressure on the representatives of the veterans' movement by opening criminal cases. As an example, he named the case against Ruslan Safarmatov, a former officer of the Fulger task force battalion of the Ministry of the Interior.

“He fought in Transnistria and was wounded. A person with an active life position, he participated in mass protests during the Plahotniuc era. He went to war in Ukraine and was on the side of the Ukrainian forces. He was wounded and underwent several operations. Now he is accused of committing drug-related crimes,” Bizgu said, stressing that if the PAS authorities do not take steps towards the veterans, they reserve the right to protest.