Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu has warned that the safety of Russian citizens living in Transnistria (a pro-Russian breakaway region of Moldova bordering Ukraine) is under threat, according to the state news agency TASS. The statement raises concerns about Moscow's posture toward the unrecognised separatist territory, where Russian troops have been stationed since the early 1990s. The warning echoes the kind of rhetoric Russia has previously used to justify intervention in neighbouring states, making it a matter of significant concern for regional stability.