Five things to know about Moldova's rebel region of Transnistria

PARIS - The small former Soviet republic of Moldova fears being drawn into Russia's war against neighbouring Ukraine through the breakaway region of Transnistria, which lies close to the Ukrainian city of Odesa.

Here are five things to know about the pro-Russian territory.

- War of secession - The predominantly Russian-speaking region, wedged between the Dniester river and the Ukraine border, unilaterally seceded from Moldova following the collapse of the Soviet Union.

In 1992, separatists fought a war with Moldova's pro-Western government, which ended in hundreds of deaths and the intervention of the Russian army on the rebels' side.

In a 2006 referendum that was not recognised by the international community, 97.1 per cent of voters backed joining Russia, dealing a blow to Moldova's hopes of following Romania and other ex-communist eastern European states into the European Union.

- Fears of new front - Ever since Russia invaded Ukraine, Moldova has feared that Russia could use Transnistria to open a new front in the southwest, in the direction of Odesa.

In September 2023, missile fragments were found in the territory.

Moscow has also been accused of trying to destabilise Moldova, which received the official candidate status to join the European Union in June 2022.

Transnistria's pro-Russian leadership, for its part, accuses Kyiv of plotting an attack on the territory.

The separatists claimed to have foiled an assassination attempt on their leader in March 2023. Kyiv denied the allegations.

- Cyrillic alphabet - Transnistria still uses the Cyrillic alphabet and has its own currency (the Transnistrian ruble), security forces and passport, though most of its estimated 465,000 residents have dual or triple Moldovan, Russian or Ukrainian nationality.

The majority of the population is Russian-speaking, while the rest of Moldova is dominated by Romanian speakers.

Moscow props up Transnistria's economy, supplying free gas and keeping 1,500 troops stationed there, effectively creating a Russian satellite on the borders of the EU.

- Smuggler's haven - Transnistria has long been seen as a smugglers' haven, with Odessa acting as a prime gateway for contraband cigarettes, alcohol and other merchandise.

The Sheriff group, a huge holding company founded by two former Soviet police officers, has a stranglehold on the territory, where it owns supermarkets, gas stations, a cognac distillery and a beluga caviar farm.

In 2015, the RISE Moldova investigative news group reported that a third of Transnistria's budget wound up in Sheriff's coffers.

The Sheriff group also owns the FC Sheriff football club, which caused one of the biggest upsets in the history of the Champions League when they beat Real Madrid 2-1 in Madrid's Santiago Bernabeu stadium in September 2021.

- Hammer and sickle - Transnistria is awash with Soviet symbols.

Its flag is emblazoned with a hammer and sickle, a huge statue of Lenin looms over the centre of its main city Tiraspol, and a bust of the Bolshevik leader sits outside the town hall, or House of Soviets. - AFP