Russian special services reportedly prepared printing of fake newspaper to push for Transnistrian entrance into Russo-Ukrainian war

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OC South says that the Russians spread an image of a faked front page of the “Transnistria” newspaper, which calls for “unity with Russia” and reportedly “appeals to the Kremlin dictator Vladimir Putin to protect against the attack of the Armed Forces,” and was meant to go into publication on May 2, the anniversary of a fire in Odesa’s Trade Unions Building during clashes between pro- and anti-Maidan protesters in 2014, which killed 48 and injured another 200 people.

"On the eve of May 2, a campaign is underway to destabilize Odesa, the border regions, with attempts to incite pro-Russian forces. The publicity of this provocation undermined the actions of enemy forces," OC South said.

According to Ukrainian daily newspaper “Segodnya”, the editor-in-chief of the actual “Transnistria” newspaper, Alexander Karasyov, called the front page image a “fake.”

Earlier, a series of explosions occurred in several areas of the unrecognized territory, including at the self-proclaimed “Ministry of State Security” in the unrecognized capital of Tiraspol. Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate accused Russian special services, in concert with the Kremlin-backed local authority, of organizing the attack against themselves.

Read also: Ukrainian intelligence calls explosions in Russian-backed Transnistria a false flag

In response, Ukraine has strengthened border controls between the unrecognized territory and Ukraine, and Ukrainian defense forces along the border have been activated.