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Residents in a pro-Russian separatist region of Moldova have been told they will be “eliminated with no prior warning” in fake messages apparently designed to sow panic on Ukraine’s south-western border.

Transnistria, once a sleepy separatist enclave in the former Soviet state of Moldova that borders Ukraine, this week saw a spate of hit-and-run attacks on critical infrastructure that Ukraine and Russia blamed on each other.

Residents in Transnistria said they had also been receiving text messages, warning them of a possible Ukrainian invasion.

A message shared by a local resident with The Telegraph read: “The Ukrainian Security Service highly recommends the evacuation of civilians to safer regions. We would like to assure you that the Ukrainian armed forces do not wish harm on peaceful residents but those who stay in town will be considered members of sabotage groups and will be eliminated with no prior warning.”

The message bears the hallmarks of typical Russian disinformation campaigns to spread panic and fear seen elsewhere. Russia has said it would like to extend its invasion of Ukraine to meet up with pro-Russian separatists in Transnistria. An "attack" on Transnistria by Ukraine could help provide a pretext.

Read more here:
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2022/04/27/moldovans-living-pro-russian-separatists-warned-will-eliminated/

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