MOSCOW, August 4 (RIA Novosti) – Ukraine’s mass media is deliberately and persistently distorting the image of the unrecognized state of Transnistria, portraying it as an enemy, the head of the press-service of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic (PMR) Security Committee, Aleksander Dornya, said Monday.
According to Dornya, the disputable statements of some of the Ukrainian media are aimed at “firstly, destabilizing the situation on Transnistrian borders and secondly, spreading panic among the citizens of the cross-border regions of Ukraine.” The official said that Transnistria is portrayed as an external enemy, ready to attack the “peaceful and peace-loving” Ukraine.
As an example of unfair media coverage, Dornya talked about statements from “Inter” TV channel journalist Roman Bochkala, who claimed that four shots from an automatic weapon had been fired from Transnistrian territory at members of the Cherkasy battalion, reportedly patrolling the border with PMR.
However, according to Dornya, just a week ago the Cherkasy battalion was at its first permanent deployment, the city of Cherkasy, receiving new military equipment. Even the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine stated that no shelling from Transnistria had been recorded.
Dornya also referenced another military expert, Dmitry Tymchuk, who is now calling to recognize Transnistria as a “formation which is hostile toward Ukraine... In the future, Ukraine must make every effort to restore Moldova’s control over this territory. Without this [control], Transnistria is like a Russian landmine near Ukraine, waiting for a moment to go off,” Tymchuk said, as cited by mass media.
