Cut off the south of Odessa and capture Moldova. According to the Ukrainian authorities, such plans are currently being made by Russia. The Kremlin does not comment on these allegations, but its actions in the region make it clear that the fears are not unfounded.

The historical area of Bessarabia covers most of the territory of modern Moldova and the south of Odessa region between the Black Sea and the Dniester and Danube rivers. For centuries, it has been part of or under the control of various states.

Here, in particular, the Ottoman and Russian empires and Romania ruled for a long time. After World War II, the Soviet Union established itself in Bessarabia.

It is possible that this is where the Kremlin plans to open a second front in the war against Ukraine.

At least, the shelling of both Odessa and the south of the region has already significantly intensified Russian troops. The last missile strike they struck on the evening of May 3 was on the infrastructure in the Bolgrad district of the region, which borders Moldova and Romania.

The south of Odesa region, actually the lands of historical Bessarabia, connects with the north and the capital of the region of cities through the Dniester estuary near the village of Zatoka. Another road – the road “Odesa – Reni” is much longer, and part of it generally runs on Moldovan territory.

In late April and early May, the Gulf Bridge became a major target for Russian missiles.

He was fired on April 26-27, as well as in the afternoon of May 2. A spokesman for the Odessa regional military administration, Serhiy Bratchuk, said the bridge had been destroyed and had not been used since the first missile strikes.

This statement contradicts the information published on April 28 by the mayor of Izmail Oleksandr Abramchenko about the alleged restoration of the railway connection between his city and Odessa on the bridge across the Dniester estuary.

Izmail is a strategically important city in the very south of Odesa near the border with Romania. It has its own seaport in the mouth of the Danube.

Earlier, Ukrzaliznytsia reported that this port, as well as the neighboring one in the Odessa town of Reni, are of key importance for Ukrainian exports.

While Russia has blocked all other sea routes, Reni and Ishmael remain the only destinations for maritime exports, including Ukrainian grain. Before the war, 95% of Ukrainian agricultural products were sold abroad by water.

Since mid-March, Ukrzaliznytsia has reported that it is working to increase the volume of rail connections with southern Bessarabia in order to ensure the country’s export potential.

In addition, free evacuation trains with Ukrainian refugees ran on this route to Romania.

Now the railway connection is interrupted. OVA spokesman Bratchuk says Izmail’s mayor was in a hurry to recover. According to him, the bridge was not operated after the first shelling.

The bridge was destroyed, it is not suitable for operation. There was some work going on, I thought that something might happen, but now the bridge is not in operation. There was a schedule of restoration work for railways, but unfortunately (failed) – Ed.). . “, – he told BBC News Ukraine.

According to former Foreign Minister Pavel Klimkin, Russia is consciously seeking to cut off communication with the south of Odessa.

“This bridge plays a very important role in any supply for all logistics chains,” he told BBC News Ukraine, adding.

According to him, the Ukrainian authorities must now look for alternative ways of transport.

Serhiy Bratchuk clearly defines the main goal of the aggressor country’s actions. “This is an attempt to separate the southern districts of our region from the main part of the region,” he said.

The Kremlin has had similar plans since 2015. At least the Security Service of Ukraine reported that it was then that it prevented the creation of a separatist entity in the south of Odesa. According to the plan of malefactors, the bridge near the Gulf, which is now damaged, was also to be blown up together with another bridge across the Dniester on the Odesa-Reni highway.

By blowing up these two bridges, Southern Bessarabia would be cut off from the main part of Ukraine. And then the so-called “green men” were to leave Transnistria … in the direction of Moldova and Romania. We broke these plans, “said the then head of the SBU Vasyl Hrytsak.

According to him, in April 2015, a group of special services in armored vehicles made a march-throw from Donetsk to Odessa region and managed to block the actions of Russian agents. Numerous searches were conducted and dozens of suspects were detained.

The “cleansing” of the Odessa region from the separatists continued for several months. Vitaliy Didenko and Olena Glishchynska, the main organizers of the Bessarabian People’s Republic, were sentenced to prison.

Already in June 2016, they were released as part of an exchange of prisoners between Ukraine and Russia.

The special services of Ukraine stressed that the escalation of the situation in the Odesa region was coordinated directly with the administration of the President of Russia.

Inal Ardzinba, the head of the AP department, was allegedly responsible for this. He now heads the foreign ministry of the self-proclaimed republic of Abkhazia, a Russian-controlled separatist entity in Georgia.

Inal Ardzinba’s involvement in the riots in Ukraine has been denied by Russian authorities.

Now this “figure” is actively commenting on the situation in Ukraine and expresses support for Transnistria, which is allegedly threatened by “hotheads” from Kiev and Chisinau.

Serhiy Bratchuk, a spokesman for the Odessa OVA, says that the current situation in the region and the mood of the local population do not give grounds to talk about the creation of any “people’s republics”.

“There is no reason today to talk about the creation of any separatist or other quasi-republic there. There is no reason from any point of view,” he said.

At the same time, Minister Klimkin is convinced that Russia has not abandoned its plans to take control of Bessarabia.

“In Russia, there are plans for which they have already selected people for appointment to the occupation administration,” he said.

In his opinion, it may be primarily a matter of inciting “popular discontent” in the most pro-Russian parts of Moldova – in the Gagauz Autonomy and in the unrecognized republic of Transnistria.

The reason may be, for example, the recent decision by Chisinau to ban the St. George ribbon – one of the symbols of Russian aggression against Ukraine.

“The Kremlin has decided to attack Moldova,” the British newspaper The Times reported on May 1, citing sources in Ukrainian intelligence.

They indicated that the attack could begin with the transfer of Russian airborne troops to Transnistria from the Russian-annexed Crimea. This will be a significant reinforcement for the Russian “peacekeeping contingent”, which has been stationed in Transnistria (Transnistrian Moldavian Republic) for 30 years and has no more than two thousand people.

At the end of April, several terrorist attacks on military facilities took place in this territory, in which the leadership of the unrecognized republic hurried to accuse the Ukrainian side.

In Kyiv, the accusations were rejected and a planned provocation was announced to “fuel panic and anti-Ukrainian sentiment.”

“According to the authors (provocations, – Ed.), They must justify the war on the territory of Ukraine, or involve the Transnistrian Republic of Moldova in hostilities. Either as a territory with a certain mobilization reserve, or as a territory from which Russian troops can carry out attacks. on Ukrainian territory, “said the Central Intelligence Agency of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.

In Moldova itself, they say they have not yet seen any signs of preparations for an attack on the country.

“Currently, there are no signs that Moldova is in danger. These conclusions are shared not only by the Moldovan authorities, but also by our key international partners,” the Moldovan Defense Ministry said in response to a request from local media.

At the same time, the Odesa regional administration notes that it has already taken measures to repel a possible attack from the western border. The state border in this direction has been taken under increased protection, the relevant combat missions have been received by the Armed Forces, Serhiy Bratchuk said.

“There will be no offensive from Transnistria. If there are armed provocations, we have something to respond to,” he said.

According to him, the Russian landing party will simply not reach Transnistria. “We have the right to shoot them down over the territory of Ukraine. These are enemy planes, enemy landings,” he said.

Diplomat Klimkin calls on the Ukrainian authorities not to act independently in this situation, but to coordinate efforts with the Moldovan authorities and NATO allies. He emphasizes that joint tactics must be worked out.

According to the minister, the Kremlin’s “Transnistrian operation” can begin only if Russian troops manage to advance towards Mykolayiv and Odessa. So far, Ukrainian forces are holding them back near Kherson.

A breakthrough in this direction will automatically increase the risks of a Russian attack on Moldova and, consequently, the capture of the entire Ukrainian south.

“Russia’s game will be to destabilize Moldova and, indeed, to open a second front against Ukraine here,” Klimkin said.

The Russian authorities deny their aggressive intentions. However, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is publicly advising the Moldovan authorities to “take care of their own future”, as the country is allegedly being “dragged into NATO”.

Looking at the Kremlin’s aggressive actions in Ukraine, such “advice” to neighboring countries looks rather sinister. Moreover, even the day before the invasion, and even after February 24, Lavrov publicly denied that Russia would break in and had already invaded Ukraine.

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