Tiraspol

BELGRADE - Partizan Belgrade have crashed out of the UEFA Europa Conference League after a 3-1 home defeat to Moldovan side Sheriff Tiraspol in the return leg of the competition's round of 32 in Belgrade on Thursday evening.

Partizan won the first leg 1-0.

CHISINAU - Partizan Belgrade beat Moldovan side Sheriff Tiraspol 1-0 in the first leg of the UEFA Europa Conference League round of 32 in Chisinau on Thursday evening.

Partizan striker Ricardo Gomes scored the only goal of the match in the 45th minute and goalkeeper Aleksandar Popovic also produced a great performance with several brilliant saves.

It comes at a moment of great uncertainty and heightened tensions between Tiraspol and Chisinau stemming from Russia's war in neighbouring Ukraine.

Roots in language row

A famous photo of a striker guarding a factory in Tiraspol

Moldova has banned officials of the pro-Russian separatist regime in Transnistria from obtaining special permits for work trips outside the country.

A few days after Russia invaded Ukraine in February, the Kyiv authorities closed all their border crossing points along the country's 400-kilometre boundary with the breakaway region of Transnistria.

Supply routes were disrupted and the prices of imported goods rose immediately.

The separatist leader in Transnistria Vadim Krasnoselsky on Friday said he was proposing Alexander Rosenberg, the former Minister of Agriculture, as Prime Minister, after Alexander Martinov was fired on Thursday.

Moscow is already paving the way for the conquest of Moldova, the British Times writes, adding that the invasion of the former Soviet republic could take place on May 9. According to the British edition on May 9, Russian President Vladimir Putin may declare recognition of the independence of the Transnistrian Moldovan Republic.

Given its geographical proximity to Ukraine, and the high number of Ukrainian citizens living in the Transnistria, the de-facto authorities of the breakaway Moldovan region have sought to remain neutral in the ongoing conflict.

But, despite the best efforts of its separatist leaders, it appears that the war in Ukraine may have finally spread to Transnistria.

The Defence Ministry of the breakaway region of Transnistria in Moldova has ordered the mobilisation of all men between 18 and 55, "at a special meeting to replenish the peacekeeping contingent," a statement issued to the heads of local administrations in Transnistria said.

The leadership of the Transnistrian republic is expected to declare mobilization and join the war against Ukraine after several "explosions". This morning, the situation in the unrecognized Russian enclave in Moldova worsened and people began to leave the borders in crowds.