IBOV 171,906.72 ▲ 0.51% IPSA 11,537.98 ▲ 1.76% IPC MEX 65,770.85 ▲ 0.06% MERVAL 2,995,129 — 0.00% COLCAP 2,510.72 ▲ 2.09% BVL PERÚ 60,222.25 ▼ 0.17% USD/BRL5.15▲ 0.02% USD/MXN16.94▼ 0.03% USD/CLP911.58▼ 0.14% USD/COP3,050▲ 0.18% USD/PEN3.35— 0.00% USD/ARS1,509▲ 0.63% USD/UYU40.18▼ 0.03% USD/PYG5,989▼ 0.11% USD/BOB11.44▲ 0.09% USD/DOP58.34▼ 0.53% USD/CRC446.05▼ 0.89% USD/GTQ7.62▼ 0.04% USD/HNL26.82▲ 0.02% USD/NIO36.62▲ 0.58% USD/VES783.11▲ 0.53% USD/PAB1.00— 0.00% USD/BZD2.00— 0.00% USD/JMD 157.28 — 0.00% USD/TTD6.72▲ 0.25% EUR/BRL6.01▲ 0.26% BRENT 88.88 ▼ 0.03% WTI 83.11 ▼ 0.11% IRON ORE 161.91 — — COPPER 6.61 ▲ 0.03% GOLD 4,461 ▲ 1.78% SILVER 65.59 ▲ 1.26% SOY 1,184 ▲ 3.20% CORN 480.50 ▲ 10.02% WHEAT 655.00 ▲ 3.93% COFFEE 317.25 ▼ 5.51% SUGAR 16.43 ▼ 1.79% ORANGE JUICE 138.55 ▼ 0.47% COTTON 85.03 ▲ 2.33% COCOA 5,719 ▲ 3.18% BEEF 223.60 ▼ 3.93% CATTLE 339.10 ▼ 3.16% LITHIUM 75.20 ▲ 1.47% PETR4 41.64 ▼ 0.05% VALE3 72.97 ▲ 0.83% ITUB4 38.60 ▼ 1.03% BBDC4 16.85 ▲ 0.36% ABEV3 14.89 ▼ 0.80% BBAS3 19.37 ▲ 0.47% B3SA3 14.26 ▼ 0.21% WEGE3 47.59 ▲ 0.49% PRIO3 59.14 ▼ 0.19% SUZB3 41.33 ▲ 2.35% RENT3 34.68 ▼ 0.09% AZZA3 15.89 ▼ 2.63% CSAN3 3.22 ▼ 1.83% RAIZ4 0.25 — 0.00% PCAR3 2.75 ▼ 0.36% GMAT3 3.65 ▼ 1.08% PSSA3 48.13 ▼ 0.54% CVCB3 1.33 ▼ 2.92% POSI3 3.36 ▲ 2.44% SLCE3 13.34 ▲ 0.30% NATU3 8.14 ▼ 0.73% IBOV 171,906.72 ▲ 0.51% IPSA 11,537.98 ▲ 1.76% IPC MEX 65,770.85 ▲ 0.06% MERVAL 2,995,129 — 0.00% COLCAP 2,510.72 ▲ 2.09% BVL PERÚ 60,222.25 ▼ 0.17% USD/BRL 5.16 ▲ 0.01% USD/MXN 17.06 ▼ 0.24% USD/CLP 913.98 ▲ 0.04% USD/COP 3,140 ▲ 0.03% USD/PEN 3.36 ▼ 0.66% USD/ARS 1,493 ▲ 0.10% USD/UYU 40.27 ▲ 1.24% USD/PYG 5,939 ▲ 1.68% USD/BOB 11.64 ▼ 0.76% USD/DOP 58.34 ▲ 1.25% USD/CRC 445.92 ▲ 0.89% USD/GTQ 7.62 ▲ 2.21% USD/HNL 26.79 ▲ 1.57% USD/NIO 36.62 ▲ 0.69% USD/VES 762.44 ▼ 0.13% USD/PAB 1.00 — 0.00% USD/BZD 2.00 — 0.00% USD/JMD 157.28 — 0.00% USD/TTD 6.70 ▲ 0.61% EUR/BRL 5.95 ▲ 1.01% BRENT 88.88 ▼ 0.03% WTI 83.11 ▼ 0.11% IRON ORE 161.91 — — COPPER 6.61 ▲ 0.03% GOLD 4,461 ▲ 1.78% SILVER 65.59 ▲ 1.26% SOY 1,184 ▲ 3.20% CORN 480.50 ▲ 10.02% WHEAT 655.00 ▲ 3.93% COFFEE 317.25 ▼ 5.51% SUGAR 16.43 ▼ 1.79% ORANGE JUICE 138.55 ▼ 0.47% COTTON 85.03 ▲ 2.33% COCOA 5,719 ▲ 3.18% BEEF 223.60 ▼ 3.93% CATTLE 339.10 ▼ 3.16% LITHIUM 75.20 ▲ 1.47% PETR4 41.64 ▼ 0.05% VALE3 72.97 ▲ 0.83% ITUB4 38.60 ▼ 1.03% BBDC4 16.85 ▲ 0.36% ABEV3 14.89 ▼ 0.80% BBAS3 19.37 ▲ 0.47% B3SA3 14.26 ▼ 0.21% WEGE3 47.59 ▲ 0.49% PRIO3 59.14 ▼ 0.19% SUZB3 41.33 ▲ 2.35% RENT3 34.68 ▼ 0.09% AZZA3 15.89 ▼ 2.63% CSAN3 3.22 ▼ 1.83% RAIZ4 0.25 — 0.00% PCAR3 2.75 ▼ 0.36% GMAT3 3.65 ▼ 1.08% PSSA3 48.13 ▼ 0.54% CVCB3 1.33 ▼ 2.92% POSI3 3.36 ▲ 2.44% SLCE3 13.34 ▲ 0.30% NATU3 8.14 ▼ 0.73%
since 2009
Tuesday, August 25, 2026

Opinion: Kyiv’s impending false-flag Transnistrian distraction is very dangerous

By · February 27, 2023 · 3 min read

Daily Brief

The morning intel from across Latin America. Free.

By subscribing you agree to our privacy policy. We never share your email.

(Opinion) Kyiv’s impending false-flag plot is so dangerous because it could very quickly come to involve NATO member Romania, which some have suspected of harboring intentions to incorporate Moldova based on historical claims to that land.

Some have accused Moldovan President Maia Sandu of secretly collaborating with Bucharest in pursuit of this scenario, which could risk a direct NATO-Russian clash in that former Soviet Republic should it come to pass.

Russia’s top brass accused Kyiv of plotting a false-flag invasion of Moldova’s breakaway Transnistria region that it claims will be carried out by Azov Neo-Nazis wearing the uniforms of Russian soldiers.

This alleged provocation will then serve as the pretext for Ukraine to invade that separatist entity in which Moscow has had a small number of military forces per prior agreements clinched with the parties previously involved in that landlocked country’s brief civil war.

The modus operandi that Moscow warned Kyiv was plotting to employ is the same one that Hitler did in the immediate run-up to the Nazis’ invasion of Poland.

At that time, his forces dressed up as Polish soldiers while carrying out a false-flag attack against a German radio station that was subsequently employed as the pretext for attacking that neighboring country.

 Kyiv's impending false-flag Transnistrian distraction is extremely dangerous. (Photo internet reproduction)
Kyiv’s impending false-flag Transnistrian distraction is extremely dangerous. (Photo internet reproduction)
One-stop reference
Company Intelligence
Every listed company in Latin America — financials, ownership and structure for 1,450+ companies across 26 exchanges, in one place.
Browse the directory →
RT
Ask Rio Times
17 years of Latin America reporting, on demand.
Open the full Ask Rio Times →

Since Kyiv can hardly be described as an independent actor, the Kremlin also directed follow-up warnings to the US and NATO.

It informed them that the Russian Armed Forces “will react appropriately” to such provocations, adding, “Any actions posing a threat to their security will be viewed, according to international law, as an attack against the Russian Federation.”

Kyiv’s impending false-flag plot is so dangerous because it could very quickly come to involve NATO member Romania, which some have suspected of harboring intentions to incorporate Moldova based on historical claims to that land.

Some have accused Moldovan President Maia Sandu of secretly collaborating with Bucharest in pursuit of this scenario, which could risk a direct NATO-Russian clash in that former Soviet Republic should it come to pass.

About the chances of Kyiv going through with the false-flag invasion that Moscow just warned about, this regrettably can’t be ruled out since there’s a certain logic inherent to that crumbling country’s leadership seriously considering this course of action.

The Ukrainian conflict’s military-strategic dynamics, which is now indisputably a NATO-Russian proxy war, have been trending in Moscow’s favor over the past few months.

That anti-Russian alliance’s chief also belatedly acknowledged that his de facto New Cold War bloc is in a so-called “race of logistics”/” war of attrition” with that targeted Great Power, which bodes negatively for Kyiv since it stands to be left in the lurch at Moscow’s mercy if the West can’t sustain the scale of its armed support.

Absent Zelensky agreeing to a potentially Chinese-mediated Russian-Ukrainian ceasefire to avert that, which could happen after each side’s reportedly planned offensives kick off and further clarity is obtained about their success or lack thereof, he might seriously explore this false-flag scenario.

The purpose of doing so could be two-fold: 1) to distract the world from Kyiv’s failure to hold Russia back behind the Line of Control, and 2) to open another front for dividing Moscow’s military focus.

It’s difficult to analyze his military-strategic calculations, but there’s a reasonable chance that Zelensky might be influenced to pursue this scenario precisely because of how dangerous it is.

To explain, he already tried to trick NATO into starting World War III after his side accidentally bombed Poland last November but lied by claiming that it was Russia that did this, which was done with the intent of provoking nuclear brinksmanship to secure more Western support.

This proves that there’s a precedent for expecting him to seriously entertain the scenario of a false-flag Transnistrian distraction for the military and soft power purposes explained thus far in this analysis.

It could therefore represent a game-changer in the NATO-Russian proxy war, albeit the most dangerous, destabilizing, and thus unpredictable if it comes to pass.

For now, observers should remain alert and closely monitor the situation to discern whether he’s ready to do this or not.

Read More from The Rio Times

The Rio Times · Power Map
See who really holds power in Latin America
Click to open the Power Map

Rotate for Best Experience

This report is optimized for landscape viewing. Rotate your phone for the full experience.