Danger of war extends to Moldova
Source: BBC, British Ministry of Defense, ISW – Data: BAO ANH – Graphics: TUAN ANH
On April 26, the Interfax news agency quoted the Russian Defense Ministry as saying that Russian forces had “completely liberated” the city of Kherson in southern Ukraine, and at the same time controlled a number of regions in the south such as Zaporizhzhia, Mykolaiv and part of Kharkov east of the capital Kiev.
The heart of Transnistria
Control of southern Ukraine would help Russia create a corridor to the Crimea peninsula and open to the west to access Russia’s pro-Russian breakaway region of Transnistria. Moldova.
On April 26, Moldova’s National Security Council held an emergency meeting after recording a series of explosions in the breakaway Transnistria region at dawn on the same day.
Moldova, one of the poorest countries in Europe with a population of 3 million, has been deeply troubled since Russia began its special military operation in Ukraine. “We are a fragile country in the middle of a fragile region,” President Maia Sandu of Moldova said recently.
What Moldova is most worried about, though, is that 12,000 Russian separatists and soldiers in Transnistria – a narrow strip of territory within the country – will join an assault on Ukraine from the west, which has so far not happened. But the explosions on April 26 may change change situation.
“This escalation comes from factions in the Transnistria region who support war and want to destabilize the situation in the region,” President Maia Sandu said on April 26.
Last week, the deputy commander of Russia’s Central Military District, Major General Rustam Minnekayev, said that the goal of the second phase of the operation in Ukraine is to take complete control of the south and east of the country and open access to the region. Transnistrian secession.
“This will create a land corridor to Crimea as well as affect important objects of Ukraine’s economy, ports in the Black Sea to which Ukraine supplies agricultural and metallurgical products to other countries. “, said General Minnekayev.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov cautiously said that Moscow is closely monitoring the situation in Transnistria. Meanwhile, the Russian Foreign Ministry said that Russia “wants to avoid the scenario of intervention in Transnistria”.
President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine once said that the fate of the east and south will determine both the war and the future of the country. Reacting to Russia’s new strategy, Mr. Zelensky asserted: “This only confirms what I have said many times that they still want to occupy other countries.”
Russia’s Challenges
With a plan to control the east and open the way to Crimea, experts say that Russia will seek to isolate Ukrainian forces east of the Dnipro River. Colin Clarke, of the Soufan think tank, told AFP news agency that it appeared the Russian military was pursuing an approach to disrupting the will of the Ukrainian military through the overwhelming use of force. and artillery.
In eastern Ukraine, observers say that the deeper Russia sends troops into Ukrainian territory, the more vulnerable its troops will be, while an armored operation can cost Russian forces “a lot of money.” weeks, even months” to reach Ukrainian forces.
In the southern region of Ukraine, after being “exhausted” by the Ukrainian counterattack in the early stages of the war, Russian forces will likely target an economic blockade rather than attack Odessa.
According to analysts, the westward expansion in southern Ukraine shows that Russia can target the port city of Odessa in southwestern Ukraine and strengthen its position in Transnistria.
“In my opinion, Russia intends to keep the areas it already controls in the south and try to pressure Ukraine economically through the blockade,” the newspaper said. Guardian quoted Michael Kofman, director of Russia studies at the Center for a New American Security.
After overcoming the obstacle in the city of Mariupol, the Russian forces will continue to face the challenge in cities such as Odessa, Kramatorsk. Off the Black Sea, Russian warships were also pushed away from the coast of Ukraine after the sinking of the flagship Moskva last week.
In addition, the fact that the West and many countries are racing to supply weapons to Ukraine in parallel with Russia’s increasing expansion of the corridor on Ukraine’s territory is also considered a factor that can change the situation. change the game.
Russia cuts gas to Poland, Bulgaria
On April 27, Russia’s state energy company Gazprom announced that it would cut off gas supplies to Poland’s PGNiG and Bulgaria’s Bulgargaz for refusing to pay in Russian rubles. Moscow will close the gas valve from April 27 until the two countries meet the requirements set by Russia in early April 2022.
Bulgaria insists it pays on time according to the current contract, while Poland says its reserves are 76% full and the country is ready to find other supplies. In response, the European Commission criticized Moscow’s move as “an act of intimidation”.
“Europeans can count on us to stand in solidarity with affected member states in the face of this new challenge. Europeans can count on our full support,” CNN said. quoted the statement of EC President Ursula von der Leyen.
at Blogtuan.info – Source: tuoitre.vn – Read the original article here
