Ukraine accuses Russia of “provoking tensions” in Moldovan breakaway region Transnistria

File – A soldier of the Ukrainian army at a checkpoint in the city of Irpin, on March 4, 2022, in Irpin (Ukraine). – Diego Herrera – Europa Press – Archive

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MADRID, May 5. (EUROPE PRESS) –

The Ukrainian Armed Forces accused Russia on Thursday of “provoking tensions” in the Moldovan separatist region of Transnistria and stressed that “the Russian enemy does not stop its offensive operations” in the Donbas region, in the east of the country.

The Ukrainian Army General Staff has indicated in a message on its Facebook social network account that Russia seeks to “establish full control over the territory of the Donetsk and Lugansk provinces and maintain a land corridor with temporarily occupied Crimea.”

“At the same time, the Russian enemy is causing tensions in the Transnistria region of Moldova,” he said after last week’s explosions in various parts of this territory, while adding that Moscow “carries out the regrouping of troops in certain areas and takes steps to replenish its reserves.

Thus, it has confirmed that “the Russian enemy continues to attack the city of Kharkov with artillery”, something that it also does “in the area north of the city of Izium”, while “the Russian enemy uses tactical and military devices to launch missiles and bombs” in Donetsk and Tavriya.

On the other hand, he reiterated that the Russian forces “focus their efforts on blocking and trying to destroy the Ukrainian units in the Azovstal (steel mill) area”, located in the city of Mariupol (southeast) and the only point where the Ukrainian forces continue to resist the Russian assault.

The General Staff of the Ukrainian Army has also raised the number of Russian soldiers killed since the start of the war to “about 24,700” and has claimed to have destroyed 1,092 battle tanks, 499 artillery systems and 83 anti-aircraft defense systems.

Finally, it has indicated that the Russian forces have also lost 192 aircraft, 155 helicopters, 1,907 vehicles and fuel tanks, ten boats and 312 drones, while 89 cruise missiles have been shot down before reaching their targets.