"Transnistria Requests Russian Protection Amid Moldova Tensions"

Pro-Russian officials in Transnistria have appealed to Russia for "protection" against increased pressure from Moldova, following fears of escalating tensions over the territory. The region's special congress passed a resolution calling on Moscow to implement measures to safeguard Transnistria, amid a deepening row over customs duties with Moldova. Russia has expressed the importance of protecting Transnistria's residents, while Moldova has rejected the appeal as propaganda. Transnistria, a mainly Russian-speaking breakaway region, unilaterally separated from Moldova after the Soviet Union's collapse, and fears have arisen that it could become a new flashpoint in Moscow's conflict with Ukraine.