Ukrainian provocations in Transdniestria aimed at engaging Russia in military conflict possible - Klintsevich
MOSCOW. June 8 (Interfax) - Provocations will soon be staged in the unrecognized Transdniestrian Moldovan Republic with the purpose of engaging Russia in an armed standoff, First Deputy Chairman of the Federation Defense and Security Committee Franz Klintsevich said.
"Considering the current events, we are on the brink of provocations to be staged in Transdniestria, which, by the way, will be carried out by Ukrainian hands, they are already making preparations," Klintsevich said at the State Duma's roundtable on Ukraine's influence on the Transdniestria situation on Thursday.
"The so-called Project Ukraine is about to fail and, clearly, no one will care about Ukraine very soon," he said.
"They cared about Russia, which was supposed to be drawn into a war, but Russia refused to fight the war in southeastern [Ukraine]. So, they will be drawing it into a war in Transdniestria. I am telling you this as a military person," Klintsevich said.
Such provocations will be staged taking into account that fact that "150,000 Russian citizens reside in Transdniestria and we have a military contingent stationed there," he said.
