Moldova is considering moving Ukrainian border checkpoints onto its territory to reduce the risk of Russian attacks near the Ukrainian border, Chișinău’s Interior Minister Daniela Misail-Nikitin said in comments published Wednesday.
Speaking on TV channel Moldova 1, Misail-Nikitin said Moldova has withdrawn its border guards and customs officers from four crossings on Ukrainian soil, adding that Chișinău is negotiating for Ukrainian border guards to work on the Moldovan side so the two countries can exercise joint control, as reported by Moldovan outlet NewsMaker.
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She said arrangements have already been reached with Kyiv for two crossings, and others will be assessed in the medium term depending on the risk of incidents.
Ukrainian Deputy Minister for Communities and Territories Development Serhiy Derkach told Radio Liberty in early October that Kyiv was working on the plans. He said he expects several pilot projects in three months, supported by an existing agreement with Moldova on joint checkpoints.
Neither government has said which crossings would be relocated first or when.
On Sept. 12, Moldova’s Customs Service said staff at three joint crossings, including the Giurgiulești-Reni checkpoint, had returned to Moldovan territory for 90 days.
Strikes on crossings
The talks follow a series of Russian drone strikes on crossings in Ukraine’s Odesa region, with the checkpoints directly targeted.
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On Sept. 9, a strike on the Starokozache crossing killed two civilians and wounded three, Ukrainian officials said. The checkpoint is about a kilometer from Moldovan territory, and Moldovan officials said traffic was halted. Moldovan Prime Minister Vasile Tofan said on X that the war was increasingly endangering Moldovan citizens.
On Aug. 21, Ukraine’s State Border Guard Service (DPSU) said Russian drones had hit the Tabaki crossing, damaging buildings and forcing it to close. On Oct. 5, Moldova’s Border Police said a drone debris ricocheted into a bus at the Palanca crossing and lightly injured a Moldovan border guard.
The Moldovan police attributed it to Russian attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure, with Chișinău accusing Moscow of deliberate strikes. Russia claimed the checkpoints were used to supply weapons to Ukraine, a claim rejected by Chișinău.
Moldova, a former Soviet republic, fought a short war with its breakaway eastern region of Transnistria in 1992 that ended with a Russia-mediated settlement enforced by Russian troops already stationed there.
The Foreign Policy Research Institute said former Soviet troops under Russian Federation control armed and trained the Transnistrian militias. Moldova says those troops violate its territorial integrity.
Anastasiia Bzova is journalist covering politics, culture and current affairs. She focuses on delivering accurate, accessible reporting that helps readers understand the issues shaping their opinions.