Passport stop: Russia accuses Moldova of segregation policy
Chisinau is massively depriving residents of Transnistria of Moldovan passports, Russian Ambassador to the country Oleg Ozerov told Izvestia. According to the diplomat, the authorities are pursuing a policy of segregation and double standards, since the Moldovan leadership is simultaneously issuing Romanian passports. In 2026, Chisinau began to actively deprive residents of the PMR of their citizenship. Experts warn that the actions of the Moldovan authorities may affect tens of thousands of people. Such pressure can disrupt the dialogue between Chisinau and Tiraspol and provoke an escalation of the Transnistrian conflict.
Moldova deprives residents of Transnistria of their citizenship
Recently, the Moldovan authorities have become more active in depriving the passports of residents of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic (PMR). So far, the measures have affected representatives of law enforcement agencies and officials of the PMR. They were officially accused of "security damage." But in essence, it became a kind of punishment for the pro-Russian position of Tiraspol. Oleg Ozerov, the Russian Ambassador to Moldova, pointed out the mass deprivation of citizenship of the inhabitants of the PMR to Izvestia.
— They strip Transnistrian citizens of their Moldovan citizenship in bundles. This is a matter for their conscience. With their assistance, millions of Romanian passports are being issued," the diplomat stressed. — Why double standards in relation to Russia and Romania? We are in favor of having a single standard. Since you say that you are for democracy and human rights, then respect this, and do not infringe on one group at the expense of another. Do not pursue a policy of segregation.
Ozerov added that Moldova could increase pressure on Transnistria, but this would not add credibility to the administration of President Maia Sandu and would further alienate residents from power. In 2026, by her decrees, Sandu deprived a total of 14 residents of the PMR of their citizenship. Only in May, passports were cancelled for five employees of the Ministry of State Security (MGB) of Transnistria. In 2025, Sandu stripped the passports of residents of the PMR for serving in the Russian army. With this step, Moldova sent a harsh signal: being in the power structures of the Russian Federation now automatically means losing citizenship.
Moldova is pursuing a targeted policy in this direction, said Daniil Kochetov, a specialist in public and municipal administration, a political scientist. The formal basis is the law allowing to revoke a passport for "actions directed against sovereignty and territorial integrity." According to the analyst's estimates, up to 30 thousand people may fall under the law. This figure mathematically reflects the full volume of the state, security and military apparatus of Transnistria. At the same time, it is possible that not only employees, but also ordinary citizens of the republic who support the Russian Federation will fall under the sanctions of Chisinau.
Chisinau justifies its actions by connecting people with Russia, Victoria Furtune, leader of the Greater Moldova party, told Izvestia.
— We have several accusations: agents of the Kremlin, the hand of Moscow — everything that does not correspond to the European narrative. Although we have a lot of politicians who are not against European integration. But with the European Union that we once knew. They don't want to ruin relations with Russia. They try their best to maintain a relationship. But this is the "Kremlin's hand," which means you are under sanctions, and you are a "threat" to the European Union," Furtune stressed.
Such actions directly contradict the 1997 European Convention on Citizenship, which Moldova has ratified, Kochetov added. However, there is a loophole that Chisinau actively uses.
— They make a reservation, which, from their point of view, is key and fully justifies their position.: that they take away Moldovan citizenship if a person has another or other citizenship," Natalia Kharitonova, a researcher at the Russian State University of Economics, told Izvestia. — That is, they do not take away the only citizenship. Therefore, yes, they violate, but they explain to the public why they are doing this.
At the same time, Chisinau issues Romanian passports anyway, and with the serious assistance of Maya Sandu— a Romanian citizen.
Russia's retaliatory actions and the possibility of escalation
The opposition and the people of Moldova have the opportunity to fight the actions of the current government by holding a referendum on confidence in President Maia Sandu, Furtune stressed. To do this, you need to collect at least 200 thousand signatures. The systemic opposition party "The Future of Moldova", led by former Prime Minister Vasily Tarlev, declared its readiness to initiate such a vote. However, so far it has not been possible to organize this.
Maya Sandu
In this situation, Russia has taken its own measures. On May 15, Vladimir Putin signed a decree on the simplified acquisition of Russian citizenship by residents of Transnistria. Applicants have been completely freed from the need to live in our country for five years on the basis of a residence permit, take an exam in the Russian language and take tests on knowledge of the history of Russia. The text of the document explicitly states that the decision was taken in order to protect human rights and freedoms. The decree was a response to pressure from Chisinau.
Russia's move could change the balance in the region, Kharitonova believes. According to her, it makes sense to consider the presidential decree in conjunction with the law of May 25, 2026, according to which the Russian Armed Forces will protect Russian citizens anywhere in the world if they are unlawfully oppressed.
The document makes it possible to intervene if Russian citizens are being persecuted, arrested, or held by decisions of foreign or international courts whose jurisdiction Moscow does not recognize. Conceptually, it is similar to the right of US intervention. However, the Russian law is broader. The United States uses the doctrine of intervention as a military measure to evacuate people from conflict zones. The new Russian law allows the use of the regular army as a response to the legal actions of other states.
Thus, Chisinau is actually trying to provoke the Russian Federation to intervene in order to protect its citizens in the PMR. Moldova may stage a provocation and draw Russia into the conflict, former President of the republic and leader of the Party of Socialists Igor Dodon told Izvestia. However, Chisinau will be able to act only together with Kiev, the politician believes.
According to Kharitonova, the possibility of a conflict in Transnistria must be considered in the context of its own. The worse the situation is for the Ukrainian Armed Forces at the front, the more they will be tempted to strike at the rear, in fact, opening a "second front".
— Sandu may be forced to invite Zelensky and the Armed Forces of Ukraine to restore the so-called constitutional order in Transnistria, and this will be a legitimate reason for Kiev to launch an operation against Russian citizens. I mean not only ordinary citizens, but also military personnel as part of the Operational Group of Russian Troops in the PMR or peacekeepers," Kharitonova emphasized.
In April 2026, Sandu arrived in Kiev on a visit. At a joint press conference, she stressed that Moldova is coordinating steps for the reintegration of the PMR. She called the fact that the Ukrainian Armed Forces are holding back Russian troops on the front line, preventing them from breaking through the corridor to Transnistria, the main help for Ukraine.
At the same time, Russia and Transnistria do not have a common border. The PMR has been wanting to become part of the Russian Federation for two decades. But there are two regions of Ukraine between Russia and Transnistria — Mykolaiv and Odessa.
The probability of a hot phase is still relatively low, but it exists and is gradually growing, Kochetov added. According to him, Chisinau is being dictated in the West to resolve the Transnistrian issue, otherwise the country will not be able to join the EU. Moldova will decide on military action only if Romania and NATO directly support it and are confident that Russia will not be able to respond harshly, for example, if it weakens in the Ukrainian direction.
Thus, the CBR takes on a much broader strategic character. If the pressure on the PMR increases, the Transnistrian issue risks definitively going beyond the internal dispute between Chisinau and Tiraspol and becoming part of a broader confrontation between Russia and the West.
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