Breakaway region in Moldova, Transdniestria, calls for more Russian peacekeepers

Moldova's unrecognised breakaway region of Transdniestria said on Monday it wanted Moscow to bulk up its small contingent of peacekeepers because of what it called growing security risks, Russia's RIA news agency reported.

Though Moldova does not allow Russia to deploy new troops in Transdniestria, Russia has had hundreds of peacekeepers in the region since a bloody war between pro-Russian separatists and Moldovan government forces after the 1991 Soviet break-up.

"As long as Russia's peacekeeping mission continues, Moldova is constrained in any military plans and preparations against Trandsniestria," Leonid Manakov, the region's envoy to Moscow, was cited as saying by RIA.