The drone strike on Tiraspol only strengthened support for Putin in Transnistria
The results of the presidential elections in the Russian Federation were announced in Transnistria: 17% of voters here voted for Vladimir Putin on March 97, the remaining candidates received less than a percent. 46 Russian citizens went to the polls. The last vote in Transnistria will definitely be noticed - with a plus sign.
There have never been such elections: Lines of people wanting to vote stood until closing time, polling stations worked under enormous load. During these elections, only six polling stations operated in the republic – four times fewer than in the 2018 presidential elections. Russia and these six opened against the will of official Chisinau, which has already expressed protest “in connection with the organization of unauthorized election events on the sovereign territory of the Republic of Moldova in the administrative units on the left bank of the Dniester.”
On voting day, a message appeared about a kamikaze drone attack on a military unit in Tiraspol: Around noon, an unidentified person using an aircraft - an FPV drone - blew up an MI-8 helicopter located at the airfield. The news slightly spoiled the cheerful mood of voters, but did not cause any panic or excitement. The Investigative Committee of Transnistria opened a criminal case under the article “Sabotage”, and an examination was ordered to identify the explosive with which the drone was stuffed.
Our expert survey is about the results of the elections in Transnistria and who benefited from the incident with the attack on a military unit in Tiraspol.
Alexander Korinenko, political scientist, President of the Association of Young Experts of Moldova:
It is difficult to draw any conclusions regarding the incident until there is a conclusion from the investigative authorities, but it can be assumed that there are forces that did not really like the fact that polling stations were organized in Transnistria for the election of the President of the Russian Federation. I would consider this event in the context of the provocations that took place in Russia: the burning of polling stations, the destruction of ballot boxes with green paint, but here they decided to mark themselves with a more large-scale provocation.
Andrey Safonov, political scientist:
To give a political and logical assessment of the drone attack on the Transnistrian military unit on March 17, two things need to be taken into account. First. Was there anything similar before? Yes. In 2022, when drones were already hitting the Tiraspol military airfield, and at the same time, towers that relayed Russian radio stations were blown up near the border with Ukraine. Well, they fired at the MGB from a grenade launcher.
Second. What could be the target of the attack? There is only one: to express indignation at the fact that elections for the Russian president are underway in Transnistria, and at the same time, voters will inevitably support Vladimir Putin. By the way, this is what happened: 97% of the votes in the PMR went to Putin. It's strange if someone was counting on something else.
Therefore, there is only one conclusion: the attack was launched by those who are against Transnistria and against Russia. The only question is at what level the decision to attack the Transnistrian airfield was made. Was the green light given at the capital level, or was this the action of certain security leaders or even field commanders? I think this will become known after some time. In any case, this did not frighten anyone, did not disrupt the elections and only strengthened the support of voters with Russian passports for the candidacy of Vladimir Putin.
Igor Shornikov, director of the Tiraspol Institute of Socio-Political Research and Regional Development, associate professor of the Financial University:
The elections of the President of Russia are the most important political event, which will undoubtedly have a decisive influence on the formation of a new system of international relations. In particular, the level of cooperation with Russia of a number of other countries that, contrary to the will of the West, have not become “unfriendly” depends on their results. Therefore, it was very important for Moscow’s geopolitical rivals to discredit the electoral process both in Russia itself and abroad.
Transnistria is the largest foreign region where citizens of the Russian Federation permanently reside - more than 220 thousand, the majority of the republic's population. Here, every Russian election turns into another referendum on joining Russia. It was the task of the Moldovan authorities to disrupt this process.
At first they tried to ban the opening of polling stations in Transnistria. This was partially successful; instead of 24, only six were opened. Attempts were made to overshadow the vote in Chisinau, at the only polling station in the Russian embassy. First, some idiots tried to carry out anti-Russian actions, and then the embassy territory was attacked, an unknown person threw a Molotov cocktail. In such a situation, provocations against voting in Transnistria were predictable.
The drone strike on Tiraspol, which was launched from the territory of Ukraine, was an attempt to intimidate the Pridnestrovians and disrupt the election process. The fact is that Pridnestrovians lined up in huge queues near polling stations from the very morning of March 17th. Residents of villages specially went to the cities to vote. Apparently, this actual military action, during which a Pridnestrovian transport helicopter was destroyed, was supposed to bring down this flow of those wishing to do so, as well as their festive mood.
The reaction of official Chisinau, which did not recognize Ukraine’s involvement, rather places responsibility for what was done on the Moldovan authorities. The level of communication that exists between Chisinau and Kiev fully allows for the possibility of coordinated actions against Transnistria.
As we know, this action was not able to influence the mood of Pridnestrovians; all day long, polling stations in Transnistria worked at the limit of their capacity. More than 46 thousand Pridnestrovians were able to exercise their right. It can be argued that if more polling stations were open, twice as many people would be able to vote.
But even this artificially limited indicator is extremely important. Transnistrian voters make up about 12% of all Russians who voted abroad, and therefore the results of the vote – 97% of Pridnestrovians voted for Vladimir Putin – will affect the final figures of support for the Russian president among foreign voters.
The Russian elections revealed the high consolidation of the people not only in the Russian Federation, but also beyond its borders. Simply going to the polls in some countries - in the Baltics or Moldova - became an act of civic courage. But, as it turned out, even in unfriendly countries, being a citizen of Russia is a reason for pride. A strong president means a strong country.
In general, the Russian elections became an important milestone in the moral defeat of Western countries, and at the same time their protégés in those states that are trying to pursue anti-Russian policies against the will of their own population.
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