CHISINAU (AFP) - Authorities in Moldova's Moscow-backed breakaway region of Transnistria said on Friday (May 13) two attempted attacks were carried out on infrastructure in the regional capital Tiraspol.
The incidents come after a string of attacks were reported in the separatist region, with fears mounting of a spillover from the conflict in neighbouring Ukraine.
"At around 4.15am in the morning, a car stopped near an oil depot of one enterprise, from which an unidentified man got out, threw a Molotov cocktail towards the building and fled," the Interior Ministry of the self-proclaimed republic said in a statement.
It said that some grass caught fire, but was "quickly" extinguished.
Around 30 minutes later, "two Molotov cocktails were thrown" at a conscription office in central Tiraspol.
"One bounced off onto the sidewalk, the other got stuck in window grates. The fire was promptly extinguished by security," the ministry said.
The self-proclaimed republic of Transnistria bordering Ukraine seceded from Moldova in 1992 after a brief war with Chisinau.
Around 1,500 Russian soldiers have been based there ever since.
Fears of a spillover from the Ukraine conflict grew after a Russian general said the Kremlin's military campaign - launched on Feb 24 - aimed to create a land corridor through southern Ukraine to Transnistria.
Kyiv has accused Russia of wanting to destabilise the region to create a pretext for a military intervention.