Russian troops conduct military exercises in Moldova's pro-Russia separatist region
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Russian troops have conducted military exercises in Moldova's pro-Russia separatist region.
Russian news agencies on Thursday quoted an army representative saying that 400 troops and 30 pieces of weaponry were involved in drills in Trans-Dniester, a narrow strip of land squeezed between Moldova and Ukraine.
Predominantly ethnic Russian Trans-Dniester broke away from Moldova in 1990 over fears that Moldova planned to reunite with Romania. Russian troops have been stationed in Trans-Dniester since a 1992 war which killed more than 1,500 people.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Army spokesman Oleg Kochetkov said that troops used 100,000 rounds of ammunition during the drills that involved armored personnel vehicles and grenade launchers.
Moldova's fears of Russian presence in Trans-Dniester intensified after Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimea last year and supported a separatist movement in eastern Ukraine.