- Britain's Ministry of Defence said in one of its daily reports on Sunday that Teplinsky was likely to be "one of the few senior Russian generals widely respected by the rank-and-file". - It said Teplinsky's new remit was likely to go beyond commanding only airborne forces.
In Kyiv, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy rejected Moscow's assertion that Ukraine wanted to take over the region. The warning comes amid increased concerns in Moldova, a small ex-Soviet republic bordering Ukraine, of a possible Russian threat.
The new government, led by P rime Minister Dorin Recean , has vowed to pursue a pro-European path and also called for the demilitarisation of the Transdniestria region - a Moscow-backed separatist region which borders Ukraine. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday that Russia was acting "responsibly" with regard to peackeeping forces it has stationed in the breakaway region and warned Moldova against inflaming the situation further.
Moldova’s constitution forces it to remain neutral or use its military forces, but how long can the status quo last as fighting rages on next door in Ukraine?