Russia seeking to brand Transnistria as its own territory — Zelenskyy
Volodymyr Zelenskyy (photo: Getty Images)
Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy explained why Russia simplifies access to citizenship for residents of the so-called Transnistria. He said there are two key objectives behind the move.
According to Zelenskyy, the step reflects not only Russia's attempt to recruit new soldiers but also an effort to signal that Transnistria (which is actually part of Moldova) is allegedly Russian territory.
"A day before, Russia took a new step regarding Transnistria: Russians simplified access to citizenship for people from this region of Moldova. This is a specific move that means not only that Russia is trying to find new soldiers, since citizenship implies military duty, but it is also Russia's way of marking Transnistria as supposedly its own territory," the president said.
He noted that Moscow often tells different interlocutors that it is supposedly only interested in Donbas. However, in reality, that is not only Donbas, and this requires a response.
"Especially since the Russian military contingent and intelligence presence in Transnistria is also a challenge for us. We are interested in a stable and strong Moldova," Zelenskyy added.
The president said he had instructed Ukraine's Foreign Ministry to coordinate with Moldova on joint assessment and joint actions. He also expects proposals from Ukrainian intelligence and security services on how to respond.
"Russia should think more about its oil refineries and its oil transshipment infrastructure, rather than about the citizens of other countries and the land of other peoples," Zelenskyy concluded.
#Zelenskyy explains why #Russia simplifies the process of obtaining citizenship for residents of #Transnistria pic.twitter.com/NOIi0sAMHU
— RBC-Ukraine (@NewsUkraineRBC) May 16, 2026
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In April, Ukrainian Presidential Office head Kyrylo Budanov said that Russia wants to strengthen its contingent in the unrecognized Transnistria, as it is concerned about it. However, Moscow currently lacks such a capability.
However, a former Moldovan defense minister said that Russian troops in Transnistria pose a potential destabilization threat to Ukraine, meaning Kyiv needs to keep forces deployed near its borders.
President Zelenskyy also said yesterday that Russia has intensified efforts to draw Belarus into the war against Ukraine. In particular, Moscow has already been in contact with the self-proclaimed president Alexander Lukashenko.
