Flag of the Republic of Transnistria at a house in Tiraspol (Diego Herrera/SOPA Images via ZUMA Press Wire)

On Monday, Vadim Krasnoselsky, President of the self-proclaimed Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic (commonly known as Transnistria), described the situation on the region's borders with Ukraine as tense and called on all parties to exhibit restraint.

"He [the president] called the situation tense and called for restraint, pointing to the principle of his presidency to personally and immediately inform the nation in the event of a real threat," a statement by the president's press office read.

The Transnistrian president also emphasized the importance of exercising discipline and not giving in to panic. He also urged citizens to abide by the designed plan of action to account for the recent emergency.

On February 23, the Russian Defense Ministry warned that the Ukrainian army and the Azov battalion were organizing a military operation against Transnistria.

Moscow claimed Kiev may fabricate a Russian offensive from Transnistria to legitimize a Ukrainian invasion of the small region as self-defense.

On February 24, the Russian Foreign Ministry stated that the Russian military was prepared to respond appropriately against any potential incursion against Transnistria.

Back in May 2022, the Interior Ministry of the unrecognized Moldovan Republic of Transnistria said that four explosions occurred in the Transnistrian village of Varancau near the Ukrainian border, reportedly caused by explosive devices dropped from a drone. Later it was confirmed that explosives were dropped by drones in Transnistria overnight that president Vadim Krasnoselsky accused Ukraine of the attacks.

Transnistria (formally, Pridnestrovian Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic) was an autonomous region in Moldova and now is a self-proclaimed republic. The region is the formal successor of the Moldavian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. Transnistria is widely unrecognized; most countries recognize Moldovan sovereignty over the Transnistrian territory.

Soviet nostalgia is characteristic of Transnistria. The region still brandishes the Soviet hammer and sickle on upper the left corner of its flag and maintains firm alignment with Russia.