, fronted by a statue of
Vladimir Lenin Transnistria is a
semi-presidential republic with a powerful presidency. The president is directly elected for a maximum of two consecutive five-year terms. The current President is
Vadim Krasnoselsky. The
Supreme Council is a unicameral legislature. It has 33 members who are elected for 5-year terms. Elections take place within a
multi-party system. The majority in the supreme council belongs to the
Renewal movement that defeated the
Republic party affiliated with Igor Smirnov in 2005 and performed even better in the
2010 and
2015 elections. Elections in Transnistria are not recognised by international bodies such as the
European Union, as well as numerous individual countries, who called them a source of increased tensions. There is disagreement over whether
elections in Transnistria are free and fair. The political regime has been described as one of "super-
presidentialism" before the 2011 constitutional reform. During the 2006 presidential election, the registration of opposition candidate
Andrey Safonov was delayed until a few days before the vote, so that he had little time to conduct an election campaign. Some sources consider election results suspect. In 2001, in one region it was reported that Igor Smirnov collected 103.6% of the votes. The PMR government said "the government of Moldova launched a campaign aimed at convincing international observers not to attend" an election held on 11 December 2005but election monitors from the Russian-led
Commonwealth of Independent States ignored that and declared the ballot democratic. City Council The opposition Narodovlastie party and
Power to the People movement were outlawed at the beginning of 2000 and eventually dissolved. A list published by the European Union had banned travel to the EU for some members of the Transnistrian leadership. Lifted by 2012. In 2007, the registration of a Social Democratic Party was allowed. This party, led by a former separatist leader and member of the PMR government Andrey Safonov, allegedly favours a union with Moldova. In September 2007, the leader of the
Transnistrian Communist Party,
Oleg Khorzhan, was sentenced to a suspended sentence of 1½ years' imprisonment for organising unsanctioned actions of protest. According to the
2006 referendum, carried out by the PMR government, 97.2% of the population voted in favour of "independence from Moldova and free association with Russia".
Administrative divisions Transnistria is subdivided into five districts (
raions) and one municipality, the city of Tiraspol (which is entirely surrounded by but administratively distinct from Slobozia District), listed below from north to south (Russian names and
transliterations are appended in parentheses). In addition, another municipality, the City of Bender, situated on the western bank of the Dniester, in Bessarabia, and geographically outside Transnistria, is not part of the territorial unit of Transnistria as defined by the Moldovan central authorities, but it is controlled by the PMR authorities, which consider it part of PMR's administrative organisation: Each of the districts is further divided into cities and communes.
Transnistria border customs dispute On 3 March 2006, Ukraine introduced new customs regulations on its border with Transnistria. Ukraine declared that it would import goods from Transnistria only with documents processed by Moldovan
customs offices as part of the implementation of the joint customs protocol agreed between Ukraine and Moldova on 30 December 2005. Transnistria and Russia termed the act an "economic blockade". The
United States, the European Union, and the OSCE approved the Ukrainian move, while Russia saw it as a means of political pressure. On 4 March, Transnistria responded by blocking the Moldovan and Ukrainian transport at the borders of Transnistria. The Transnistrian block was lifted after two weeks. However, the Moldovan/Ukrainian block remains in place and holds up progress in status settlement negotiations between the sides. In the months after the regulations, exports from Transnistria declined drastically. Transnistria declared a "humanitarian catastrophe" in the region, while Moldova called the declaration "deliberate misinformation". Cargoes of humanitarian aid were sent from Russia in response. in Tiraspol
Russian military presence in Transnistria The 1992 cease-fire agreement between Moldova and Transnistria established a Russian "peacekeeper" presence in Transnistria and a 1,200-member Russian military contingent is present in Transnistria. Russian troops stationed in parts of Moldova except Transnistria since the time of the USSR were fully withdrawn to Russia by January 1993. In April 1995, the Soviet 14th Guards Army became the
Operational Group of Russian Forces, which by the 2010s had shrunk to two battalions and no more than 1,500 troops. On 21 October 1994, Russia and Moldova signed an agreement that committed Russia to the withdrawal of the troops within three years of the agreement's effective date; this did not come into effect, however, because the Russian
Duma did not ratify it. However, even after 2002, the Russian parliament did not ratify the Istanbul accords. On 19 July 2004, after it finally passed through parliament President Vladimir Putin signed the Law on the ratification of the CFE Treaty in Europe, which committed Russia to remove the heavy armaments limited by this Treaty. During 2000–2001, although the CFE Treaty was not fully ratified, to comply with it, Moscow withdrew 125 pieces of Treaty Limited Equipment (TLE) and 60 railway wagons containing ammunition from the Transnistrian region of Moldova. In 2002, Russia withdrew three trainloads (118 railway wagons) of military equipment and two (43 wagons) of ammunition from the Transnistrian region of Moldova, and in 2003, 11 rail convoys transporting military equipment and 31 transporting ammunition. According to the
OSCE Mission to Moldova, of a total of 42,000 tons of ammunition stored in Transnistria, 1,153 tons (3%) was transported back to Russia in 2001, 2,405 tons (6%) in 2002 and 16,573 tons (39%) in 2003.
Andrei Stratan, the
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Moldova, stated in his speech during the 12th OSCE Ministerial Council Meeting in
Sofia on 6–7 December 2004 that "The presence of Russian troops on the territory of the Republic of Moldova is against the political will of Moldovan constitutional authorities and defies the unanimously recognised international norms and principles, being qualified by Moldovan authorities as a foreign military occupation illegally deployed on the territory of the state". however, Russia insists that it has already fulfilled those obligations. It states the remaining troops are serving as peacekeepers authorised under the 1992 ceasefire, are not in violation of the Istanbul accords and will remain until the conflict is fully resolved. On the other hand, Moldova believes that fewer than 500 soldiers are authorised pursuant to the ceasefire and, in 2015, began to arrest and deport Russian soldiers who are part of the excess forces and attempt to use Moldovan airports. at the border between Transnistria and Moldova at
Dubăsari In a
NATO resolution on 18 November 2008, Russia was urged to withdraw its military presence from the "Transdnestrian region of Moldova". In 2011, US Senator
John McCain claimed in a visit to Moldova that Moscow is violating the territorial integrity of Moldova and Georgia and one of the "fundamental norms" of "international behavior". On 21 May 2015, the
Ukrainian parliament passed a law terminating five co-operation agreements with Russia. This law effectively terminates the "Agreement on transit of Russian military units temporarily located on the territory of the Republic of Moldova through the territory of Ukraine" dated 4 December 1998. One point of access for Russian soldiers travelling to Transnistria remains
Chișinău International Airport and the short overland journey from there to Tiraspol. Over the years, Moldova has largely permitted Russian officers and soldiers to transit the airport on their way to Transnistria, though occasionally it blocked those that were not clearly identified as international peacekeepers or who failed to give sufficient advance notice. Chișinău Airport would likely only ever agree to the possibility of moving employees, officers, and soldiers of the stationed forces. The passage of soldiers of the 14th Guards Army would be illegal. On 27 June 2016, a new law entered in force in Transnistria, punishing actions or public statements, including through the usage of mass media, networks of information and telecommunications or the Internet, criticising the military mission of the Russian Army stationed in Transnistria, or presenting interpretations perceived to be "false" by the Transnistrian government of the Russian Army's military mission. The punishment is up to three years of jail for ordinary people or up to seven years of jail if the crime was committed by a person of responsibility or a group of persons by prior agreement.
Russian invasion of Ukraine After the
2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Transnistria declared it would maintain its neutrality in the situation and denied claims that it would assist in the attack on Ukraine. During the
prelude to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Ukrainian military intelligence stated on 14 January 2022 that they had evidence that the Russian government was covertly planning
false flag "provocations" against Russian soldiers stationed in Transnistria, which would be
used to justify a Russian invasion of Ukraine. The Russian government denied the claims. In that prelude,
similar unattributed clashes happened in
Donbas in February 2022: Ukraine denied being involved in those incidents and called them a false flag operation as well. On 15 March 2022, the
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe recognised Transnistria as a Moldovan territory occupied by Russia. According to the Transnistrian authorities, on 25 April there was
an attack on the premises of the
Ministry for State Security and on the next day two transmitting antennas broadcasting Russian radio programmes at
Grigoriopol transmitter near the Ukrainian border were blown up. The Moldovan authorities called these events a provocation aimed at destabilising the situation in the region. The Russian army has a military base, a large ammunition dump and about 1,500 soldiers stationed in Transnistria, stating that they are there as "peacekeepers".
Military , the
armed forces and the paramilitary of Transnistria were composed of around 4,500–7,500 soldiers, divided into four motorised infantry brigades in Tiraspol,
Bender,
Rîbnița, and
Dubăsari. They have 18 tanks, 107
armoured personnel carriers, 73 field guns, 46 anti-aircraft installations, and 173 tank destroyer units. The airforce is composed of 1
Mi-8T and 1
Mi-24 helicopter. Previous aircraft operated were
Antonov An-26,
Antonov An-2, and
Yakovlev Yak-52 fixed wing and
Mil Mi-2 and other Mi-8T and Mi-24 helicopters.
Law The legislation of Transnistria is classified into several areas: • The Constitution, a codex containing 28 consolidated legislative acts. This area of legislation concerns the establishment of the Supreme Court, Arbitration Court, the Constitutional Court and the judicial and governmental system of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic. It also concerns the establishment of the statuses of some government officials, such as Judges, Deputies of the Supreme Council and the Prosecutors' Office. It also establishes a commissioner for human rights, special legal regimes, citizenship law, This category also contains amendments to the constitutional order, and its procedure to make alterations to the constitution. • Laws relating to the foundational law and constitutional system, a codex containing 81 legislative acts. • Laws relating to the budget, finance, economic and taxation, a codex containing 55 legislative acts. • Laws relating to the judicial system and its procedures, a codex containing 13 legislative acts. • Laws relating to criminal, customs and administrative law, a codex containing 12 legislative acts. • Laws relating to the military and defence sector, a codex containing 16 legislative acts. • Laws relating to the civil, housing and family Law, a codex containing 28 legislative acts. • Laws relating to healthcare and social protection, a codex containing 49 legislative acts. • Laws relating to the field of agriculture and ecology, A codex containing 28 legislative acts. • Laws relating to industry, trade, privatisation, construction, transport, energy and communications, a codex containing 42 legislative acts. • Laws relating to education, culture, sports, youth policy, media, and implementation of political rights and freedoms of citizens, a codex containing 43 legislative acts. • Laws relating to government programmes and government targeted programmes, a codex containing 20 legislative acts.
Arms control and disarmament Following the
collapse of the former Soviet Union, the Russian 14th Army left 40,000 tons of weaponry and ammunition in Transnistria. In later years there were concerns that the Transnistrian authorities would try to sell these stocks internationally, and intense pressure was applied to have these removed by Russia. In 2000 and 2001, Russia withdrew by rail 141 self-propelled artillery pieces and other armoured vehicles and locally destroyed 108
T-64 tanks and 139 other pieces of military equipment limited by the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE). During 2002 and 2003 Russian military officials destroyed a further 51 armoured vehicles, all of which were types not limited by the CFE Treaty. The OSCE also observed and verified the withdrawal of 48 trains with military equipment and ammunition in 2003. However, no further withdrawal activities have taken place since March 2004 and a further 20,000 tons of ammunition, as well as some remaining military equipment, are still to be removed. In the autumn of 2006, the Transnistrian leadership agreed to let an OSCE inspectorate examine the munitions and further access was agreed moving forward. Recent weapons inspections were permitted by Transnistria and conducted by the OSCE. The onus of responsibility rests on Russia to remove the rest of the supplies. Transnistrian authorities declared that they are not involved in the manufacture or export of weapons. OSCE and European Union officials stated in 2005 that there is no evidence that Transnistria "has ever trafficked arms or nuclear material" and much of the alarm is due to the Moldovan government's attempts to pressure Transnistria. In 2007, foreign experts working on behalf of the United Nations said that the historically low levels of transparency and continued denial of full investigations to international monitors have reinforced negative perceptions of the Transnistrian government, although recent co-operation by Transnistrian authorities may have reflected a shift in the attitude of Transnistria. Their report stated that the evidence for the illicit production and
trafficking of weapons into and from Transnistria, has in the past been exaggerated, although the trafficking of light weapons is likely to have occurred before 2001 (the last year when export data showed US$900,000 worth of 'weapons, munitions, their parts and accessories' exported from Transnistria). The report also states that the same holds true for the production of such weapons, which is likely to have been carried out in the 1990s, primarily to equip Transnistrian forces. The OSCE mission spokesman Claus Neukirch spoke about this situation: "There is often talk about sale of armaments from Transnistria, but there is no convincing evidence". In 2010,
Viktor Kryzhanivsky, Ukraine's special envoy on Transnistria, stated that there was no ongoing
arms or
drug trafficking through the Transnistrian section of the Ukrainian-Moldovan border at the time.
Human rights The human rights record of the Transnistrian authorities has been criticised by several governments and international organisations. The 2007
Freedom in the World report, published by the U.S.-based
Freedom House, described it as a "non-free" territory, having an equally bad situation in both political rights and civil liberties. According to a 2006
U.S. Department of State report:
Romanian-language schools in
Tiraspol. The Cyrillic alphabet was replaced by the
Latin alphabet in 1989 in Moldova, but remains in use in Transnistria.
Public education in the Romanian language (officially called Moldovan language in Transnistria) is done using the Soviet-originated Moldovan Cyrillic alphabet. The usage of the
Latin script was restricted to only six schools.
Four of these schools were forcibly closed by the authorities, for alleged refusal of the schools to apply for official accreditation. These schools were later registered as private schools and reopened, a development which may have been accelerated by pressure from the European Union. The OSCE mission to Moldova has urged local authorities in the Transnistrian city of Rîbnița to return a confiscated building to the
Moldovan Latin script school in the city. The unfinished building was nearing completion in 2004 when Transnistria took control of it during that year's school crisis. In November 2005,
Ion Iovcev, the principal of a Romanian-language school in Transnistria and active advocate for human rights as well as a critic of the Transnistrian leadership, received threatening calls that he attributed to his criticism of the separatist regime.
LGBTQ rights Transnistria does not recognise same-sex unions. The Code of Marriage and Family that came into force in 2002 states that marriage is a voluntary marital union between a man and a woman. The code does not recognise other types of partnership for both opposite-sex and same-sex couples other than marriage. ==Status==