In unrecognized Transnistria, a fire was reported on the territory of a military unit in Tiraspol. As it turned out later, it was a drone attack on a military helicopter.The Kremlin media circulated two videos. One of them shows the helicopter at the moment of the strike, the other shows the burned remains of the helicopter.
In the second video, where the wreckage was filmed, a puddle is seen in which the wings of the airplane are reflected. In the first video with the moment of impact, the picture around the helicopter is blurred, allegedly to hide the location of the impact.
There is only one airfield near Tiraspol - the Tiraspol airport. We checked the satellite images from the airfield with the location of the impact on the video, and found the very wing of the airplane standing next to the destroyed helicopter.
Also on the satellite images you can see other military equipment near the site of the strike. The image shows at least 3 airplanes and 5 helicopters, except for the burned one. There is also a hangar, which may contain other military equipment.
Who carried out the attack? The Kremlin media immediately claimed that the attack was carried out by Ukraine.The US-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported that the Kremlin hopes to use Transnistria and Gagauzia to conduct hybrid operations to destabilize Moldova ahead of EU accession talks and presidential elections to be held in 2024.
Official Moldova also commented on the incident.Moldova denies a "Ukrainian trace" and considers the incident as a provocation.
"The incident under consideration is an attempt to cause fear and panic in the region. The military equipment in the images has not operated for several years. The authorities in Chisinau, who are in contact with the Ukrainian side, do not confirm the fact of an attack on the Transnistrian region," the Moldovan Reintegration Bureau said.
A representative of The Main Directorate of Intelligence of Ukraine, Yusov, said that the drone attack on a military facility in Transnistria was a "Russian provocation".
