An assassination plot against Transnistria's leader Vadim Krasnoselsky has been thwarted, and the suspects have been detained and are confessing, the breakaway republic's State Security Ministry said in a statement.
According to the ministry, the terror attack was being plotted against a number of officials of the unrecognized republic by Ukraine's Security Service.
The ministry added that "criminal cases have been opened and are being investigated with regard to the crimes."
The Transnistrian leader is currently at his workplace and carrying out his duties as usual, the breakaway republic's Foreign Minister Vitaly Ignatiev said in a statement.
Ignatiev said that Transnistria will ask Ukraine to provide all the necessary information about the botched terror attack, and will appeal to the participants of the 5+2 format on the Transnistrian settlement in order to prevent an escalation of tensions.
He added that the breakaway republic might raise the issue with the permanent members of the UN Security Council in order to draw attention to the thwarted attack.
In the meantime, authorities are working on various scenarios to respond in the event of an attack by Ukraine, the minister said.
Predominantly Russian-speaking Transnistria has been seeking to secede from Moldova since the collapse of the Soviet Union. In 1992, Transnistria became a territory de facto not controlled by Kishinev following a two-year military conflict.
Peace in the Transnistrian conflict area is maintained by a joint peacekeeping force, which includes 402 Russian, 492 Transnistrian, 355 Moldovan servicemen, as well as 10 military observers from Ukraine. Peacekeepers serve at 15 stationary posts and checkpoints, located in the key sections of the security zone.