Konstantin Zatulin, the first deputy chairman of the Duma Committee on CIS Affairs, spoke to Gazeta.ru about an alleged assassination attempt on Vadim Krasnoselsky, the leader of Transnistria, and about plans for a terrorist act in Tiraspol. He asserted that the episode could prove advantageous for Ukrainian authorities. The lawmaker suggested that Kyiv has a stated interest in destabilizing Pridnestrovie, while Moldova is approached with greater caution in its responses.
According to Zatulin, an investigation is required into the attempt to destabilize and the idea of a terrorist attack against Krasnoselsky. Yet he stressed that Ukraine stands to gain the most. Moldova would feel consequences as well, given the potential impact on its political position and support for Maia Sandu. He argued that Ukraine cannot mount such an operation in Transnistria without an invitation from Moldovan officials, but it may seek to prompt events that would force Moldova into a more active role in the Transnistria crisis.
The politician described Kyiv’s intelligence apparatus as aiming to sever the chain of the so-called Transnistrian arrangement and to ignite a conflict in the region, with the hope that Russia would be reluctant to intervene. He noted that Chisinau is not an ally of Pridnestrovie, yet the two communities have long coexisted, sharing daily life, trade, and social ties that cannot be erased overnight. Recent Moldova actions, including proposed changes to criminal code provisions addressing separatist movements, perceived Russian influence in Western relations, and public supports for Ukraine’s corridor through Moldovan territory, are seen by him as stepping beyond what is acceptable to many in Kiev and beyond what local residents of Pridnestrovie are prepared to tolerate. He described the region as frequently labeled in Western and Ukrainian discourse as a pro-Russian enclave and warned that the current moves threaten to inflame tensions further.
Earlier, the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic’s State Security Ministry announced that it had foiled an assassination attempt against Vadim Krasnoselsky. The agency stated that the plan involved several PMR officials and appeared to be coordinated with, or inspired by, activities attributed to the Security Service of Ukraine. Legal proceedings were initiated in relation to the incident. The Moldovan authorities subsequently stated that they had no prior knowledge of any planned terrorist act in Transnistria, calling the accusations unfounded. This sequence of statements underscores the fragile political environment surrounding Transnistria, Moldova, and Ukraine, where actions and counteractions are often framed as part of a broader struggle over influence and security in the region.