US intelligence services believe that Russia will not limit itself to Ukraine and should extend the war to Transnistria, a pro-Moscow separatist region located in Moldova.
The forecast was made today by the US Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines at a hearing before the US Senate Defense Committee.
Officially, Russia says the goal with the invasion of Ukraine is to “liberate” Donbass, which includes the Donetsk and Lugansk regions in eastern Ukraine and has been the scene of conflict since 2014.
However, recently, a high-ranking Russian army announced plans to conquer all of southern Ukraine and establish a direct land link with Transnistria.
“Putin is preparing for a long conflict and plans to go beyond Donbass,” warned Haines.
Transnistria declared independence from Moldova, a former Soviet republic, in the 1990s and is protected by Russian troops. However, the sovereignty of the region is not recognized by the international community.
In late April, explosions took place in Tiraspol, the capital of Transnistria, targeting government buildings and military targets, but no one claimed responsibility for the attacks. For Moldovan President Maia Sandu, these actions were an attempt to drag the country into war.
source: Noticias
