Tiraspol - The Transdniestrian State Security Committee (KGB) reported on March 25 that an unmanned aerial vehicle had been shot down over the self-proclaimed republic's territory. "An authorized agency determined the fact of an unmanned aerial vehicle's (UAV) flying over Transdniestrian territory and conducting video and photo surveillance on March 23 this year. As a result of measures undertaken by Transdniestria, the unmanned aerial vehicle ceased to exist," the Transdniestrian KGB said in a statement on March 25.
Transdniestrian special services have been able to recover the video from the drone, it said.
“Based on preliminary findings, the UAV was launched from the Ukrainian territory by a group of people presumably belonging to operational-technical services of the Ukrainian Security Service, or the Ukrainian Defense Ministry’s General Staff, or members of Right Sector with the purpose of conducting reconnaissance operations over the territory of the Transdniestrian Moldovan Republic,” the KGB said.
The KGB is working to identify the individuals who could be responsible for violating Transdniestrian airspace, it said.
Tiraspol appeals to “representatives of the countries guaranteeing the negotiating process on a Moldovan-Transdniestrian settlement [Russia and Ukraine] and the participants in the peacekeeping operation [Russian, Moldovan, and Transdniestrian troops and a group of Ukrainian military observers] not to carry out military reconnaissance activities capable of increasing tension, including at the Transdniestrian-Ukrainian section of the border,” it said.
The Transdniestrian KGB also pointed out that some Ukrainian media outlets alleged recently that some military preparations were under way in Transdniestria.
“Transdniestria earlier invited Ukrainian Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Serhiy Pyrozhkov to discuss the so-called concentration of armed groups in Transdniestria allegedly to attack Ukrainian territory. However, Ukrainian representatives have been deliberately avoiding contacts and Transdniestria’s proposals on examining the Transdniestrian regions in question to make sure that the allegation of Transdniestria’s military threat towards Ukraine is a lie,” it said.
Transdniestria remains open to a constructive dialogue, and its KGB is ready to work together with all parties concerned “to make sure that the media cover events really taking place in Transdniestria more impartially,” it said.
