“Control over the south of Ukraine is another way to reach Transnistria, where there are also facts of oppression of the Russian-speaking population. Obviously now we are at war with the whole world, as it was in the Great Patriotic War, everyone in Europe, the whole world was against us. And now it's the same thing, they never liked Russia.”

According to TASS, this was stated by the Deputy Commander of the Central Military District (CMD), Major General Rustam Minekayev at the annual meeting of the Union of Defense Industries of the Sverdlovsk Region.

"Since the beginning of the second phase of the special operation, it has already begun, literally two days ago one of the tasks of the Russian army was to establish full control over Donbas and southern Ukraine," the agency quoted him as saying. According to him, the army's control over Donbas will make it possible to create a land corridor to Crimea.

In addition, "it will affect the vital facilities of the Ukrainian [military], Black Sea ports, through which agricultural and metallurgical products are delivered to [other] countries."

What Minekayev said means that the Russian army will launch an offensive in the west along the Black Sea coast of Ukraine to the borders of Moldova, as the so-called Transnistria is an unrecognized "republic" of Russians and Russian speakers. There is a limited contingent of the former 14th Army of the USSR, and according to unofficial data, it is only about 1,500 people, mainly engaged in guarding large burials with Soviet-era ammunition. At least half of them are almost certainly expired.

Talking about "facts of oppression of the Russian-speaking population" seems absurd because for almost three decades Transnistria has been ruled independently by pro-Russian authorities. The region is regularly visited by Russian politicians, MPs and ministers. Its social institutions are supported by Russia, and at least since 2006 legislation has been brought into line with Russian, and schools are trying to be recognized as part of Russia's educational space.

But on April 11, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Army warned that provocations by Russian forces in Transnistria were not ruled out. Their goal would be to accuse Ukraine of aggression against a neighboring country.

It is not clear from the general's words what exactly the army is planning for Odessa and the rest of the unoccupied part of the Ukrainian coast. "It will affect” can mean both an attack and a blockade by land as they surrender, while the naval blockade continues.

Minekayev added that the "special operation" must be "successfully brought to its logical conclusion" because "we have not started this war, but we will end it".

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/Dnevnik