The accredited ambassador of the Russian Federation in the Republic of Moldova, Oleg Ozerov, criticizes the report of the Information and Security Service (SIS) and the Military Information Agency regarding the amount of ammunition stored at Cobasna and the risks associated with it. The diplomat argues that the document aims to influence political power and provoke it to undertake actions with potential “very serious consequences”.
“From the reports I receive from our military – and I trust them more because they are on the spot – the reality is different from how it is presented in this report, which is of dubious quality. Why is this happening? It is said that there will be a few explosions, nothing serious. But if it is not so, do you, the authors of the report, take responsibility? I think it is more about attempts to manipulate political power to provoke it into actions that, in reality, could have very serious consequences. However, the authors of the report will stand aside, because they have written and that’s it. And if something completely different happens later, they will not be held accountable for it,” Ozerov declared.
The accredited ambassador of Russia has also questioned the timing when the authorities in Chisinau brought up the subject of the Cobasna depot again, reports newsmaker.md. In his opinion, this could raise suspicions about a possible attempt to forcibly resolve the Transnistrian conflict.
“Why is this issue suddenly updated right now? Many people suspect that it might be a provocation that could pave the way for a forceful solution to the Transnistrian problem, under the pretext that nothing serious will happen. (…) We respond to the assertion that this could turn into a regional disaster. We, Russia, say these words and take responsibility for them,” Ozerov further stated.
On August 21, the authorities in Chisinau made public information about the Cobasna depot, the amount of ammunition stored there, and potential risks.
According to security officers, there would be about 14,000 tons of ammunition. Only about 2800 of them explosive charge. The stocks are distributed in 42 warehouses, located at distances of approximately 80–200 meters from each other.