Moldova's breakaway Transnistria claims it foiled Ukraine’s attack on leadership

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) - Moldova’s breakaway Transnistria region on Thursday accused Ukraine of carrying out an attack on its leadership and said that the attack has been thwarted.

“The crime, on the directives of the Security Service of Ukraine, was prepared against a number of officials,” said a statement by the breakaway region's State Security Ministry.

It said that the suspects of the alleged attack were detained and that an investigation has been launched.

Separately, Transnistria’s prosecutor Anatoliy Guretskiy claimed that the alleged attack aimed to take out the leadership of Transnistria.

"The place where the attack was supposed to take place indicates that the calculation was, firstly, to eliminate the first persons of the state. In addition, no less, the calculation was for a large number of victims,” Guretskiy claimed.

Ukrainian and Moldovan officials are yet to comment on the claims.

Transnistria is an unrecognized breakaway region internationally recognized as part of Moldova, but is currently controlled by pro-Russian separatists.