Tiraspol denies Transdniestrian origin of uranium found in Ukraine
TIRASPOL. May 6 (Interfax) - The Transdniestrian State Security Committee has refuted a statement of the Ukrainian Security Service alleging the Transdniestrian origin of uranium-235 found in the Chernivtsi region.
"The State Security Committee of the TMR (Transdniestrian Moldovan Republic) calls attention to absence of any radioactive materials, their natural sources, processing means or devices containing them in Transdniestria. Therefore, the State Security Committee of the Transdniestrian Moldovan Republic deems it necessary to point out the misinforming nature of the Ukrainian Security Service's report," the committee said.
Speculations about military preparations in Transdniestria had been earlier made at various levels, it recalled. "The TMR KGB once again stresses that Transdniestria is not carrying out any military preparations and does not possess credible information about the involvement of TMR citizens in the destructive processes underway on the territory of Ukraine," the committee said.
"The State Security Committee of the Transdniestrian Moldovan Republic expresses its concern about the recurrent blatant releases of provocative information by Ukrainian official entities and recommends that they abstain from making misinforming insinuations, which escalate tensions, in the future," it said.
The committee also noted that Ukraine had limited the freedom of movement of Russian citizens residing in Transdniestria.
Ukrainian Security Service press service head Maryna Ostapenko told a press briefing earlier that the counter-intelligence service had seized a radioactive source possibility containing uranium-235 with an approximate weight of 1.5 kilograms in the Chernivtsi district. She said the dangerous material was brought to Ukraine from Transdniestria.
A criminal inquiry was launched on the counts of illegal handling of radioactive material.
