Vitali Ignatiev, the political representative of Tiraspol in the Transnistrian settlement process, has condemned actions taken by Chisinau against Ruslan Mova, the former head of the region’s so-called interior ministry. In a message sent on March 30 to Valeriu Chiveri, Ignatiev called for lifting entry restrictions imposed on residents of the Transnistrian region, according to IPN.
In the document, Ignatiev noted that Mova is involved in a judicial process in the Republic of Moldova, initiated after Maia Sandu revoked his citizenship. According to a court decision, Mova must appear at hearings scheduled for September 2026.
Sources cited by IPN say that Chisinau’s decision “shocked” some deputies and senior officials in the Transnistrian region, who had previously used Chișinău as a transit point for international travel.
At the same time, anonymous channels on Telegram and Viber circulated information about an alleged unofficial decree from the region’s leadership that would restrict travel or require coordination for trips to the right bank of the Dniester River.
Sources from Tiraspol described the situation as symbolic, noting that a former representative of the region’s security structures is now forced to turn to Moldova’s judicial system. They also pointed out that in 2025 the Transnistrian region introduced criminal penalties of up to 10 years in prison for appealing to Moldovan law enforcement or courts in human rights cases.
According to IPN, Ruslan Mova was denied entry into Moldova after arriving from Turkey at Chisinau International Airport. He presented a Ukrainian passport, as his Moldovan citizenship had been revoked at the end of February by presidential decree.