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President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia’s decision to simplify citizenship procedures for residents of the separatist Transnistria region serves two key purposes: recruiting new soldiers and symbolically presenting the territory as part of Russia.
According to Zelenskyy, granting Russian citizenship also creates military obligations, allowing Moscow to expand its pool of potential recruits.
He stressed that Transnistria is internationally recognized as part of Moldova and warned that Russia’s move signals broader territorial ambitions beyond Donbas.
The Ukrainian president also pointed to the presence of Russian troops and intelligence infrastructure in the region as a security challenge for Ukraine.
Zelenskyy said he instructed Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry to coordinate with Moldova on a joint assessment and possible response measures, while intelligence agencies are preparing proposals on how to react.
He added that Russia should focus more on its own oil infrastructure “rather than the land of other nations and the citizens of other states.”
