Thousands of pro-Russian protesters gathered in the break away region's capital Tiraspol waving Russian flags and asking for the protection of the Russian president Vladimir Putin from what they called threats from Moldova's government that may bring their existence to a stand still.
Transnistria, which illegally split from Moldova as the Soviet Union crumbled has remained firmly under the Kremlin's orbit while Moldova which borders Ukraine is bidding to join the European Union.
In a special congress held on Friday, politicians in Transnistria asked Moscow to guard them from the increasing pressure from Moldova and the Kremlin later replied that protecting its compatriots was a priority the Russian state media RIA Novotski reported.
While the congress initially sparked fears that Moscow could press ahead with its long standing plan to destabilise Moldova's increasingly pro-western government, Moldova dismissed it as propaganda.
Why Russia is interested in Moldova?
Russia had planned to capture Ukraine and sweep across the mainlands to the southwestern city of Odessa near Transnistria.
The then commander of Russia's Central Military Region, Maj. Gen. Rustam Minnekaev once said that the aim of the special military operation was to establish a corridor through southern Ukraine to Transnistria as Russia was seeking to reunite with its compatriots abroad.
Although the Moscow advance was halted especially at Kherson around 350kms from Transnistria, analysts continue to put emphasis on the designs that Moscow used to keep firm grip on the break away compatriots.
A U.S based spy agency warned that Ruusia intended to use Transnistria as a Russian controlled proxy that it can use to derail Moldova's EU accession process, among other things.
Just as Russia deemed Ukraine's shift in 2014 towards the EU to be unacceptable and used military force to prevent it, Moscow administration is so keen on doing the same to prevent Moldova.
The William Burns led CIA produced at statement drawn up by Russia's security service, the FSB, which detailed its plan to destabilise Moldova and thwart its tilt towards the west.
President Putin had also justified the Russian annexation of Crimea and military operations in Luhansk and Donetsk in an attempt to protect Russian speaking to citizens whom he alleged were under threats from Kyiv.
ln an interview with RIA Novotski, the Transnistria leader President Vadim Kranoselsky claimed that the Moldovan government was preparing to carryout terror attacks against Transnistria ahead of a possible invasion without providing evidence
The Russian annexation of Transnistria is further going to create instability in the world's most developed continent as the West and Russia all work towards limiting the expansion of each other.
