Ukraine to place S-300 antiaircraft missiles on border with Transdniestria
Ukrainian authorities will deploy S-300 antiaircraft missile complexes on the border with Transdniestria - a mostly Slavic-populated breakaway region of Moldova that has existed as an unrecognized Dniester Republic since the early 1990, TASS reports.
A report published by Odessa-based Taimer newspaper quoted the Ukrainian Defence Ministry officials as saying the missile complexes will be deployed in the Bolgrad district of the Odessa region.
"Officials at the war ministry said the S-300 missiles will ensure defence of the country in the south of the Odessa region on the border with the Dniester Republic," Taimer said.
In the light of it, Dniester Republic President Yevgeny Shevchuk expressed concern over the bellicose moods in Kiev.
"We’re concerned by the fact," he said. "The Dniester leadership is acting with maximum openness in this situation. We’ve made proposals more than once to the (European security organization) OSCE, the Ukrainian embassy, other partners in the Five-plus-Two negotiations format (embracing Moldova, Transdniestria, Russia, Ukraine, the OSCE, as well as the US and the EU in the capacity of observers - TASS) to come over to us and to see for themselves that there are absolutely no military preparations on our side."