So with Putin’s invasion of Ukraine faltering, the Russian separatists in the east of non-NATO member Moldova on the Ukraine border may well be getting nervous right now. The Russian military was planning an assault on Odesa to join the whole eastern and southern Ukraine all the way to Moldova. This failed to occur, there was no doubt plans to take Odesa but the resistance was too high, this would have cut off the Ukrainian access to the Black Sea.

The elite Russian parachute brigade failed to take Kyiv, the special military operation to topple the Ukraine government failed. Instead, the 331st Guards Parachute Regiment were wiped out and really been inconsequential in this war, they were likely supported by the 11th Guards Air Assault Brigade. The regiment’s commanding officer, Colonel Sergei Sukharev was killed in Ukraine. Putin wanted to topple the government, murder Zelensky and install a Belarus style government in Ukraine.

Moldova was once part of the Soviet Union, there are still regions in the east of the country where separatists are operating. The Transnistria region was held by Russian forces exerting influence over the region. If the whole of southern Ukraine fell, there was a concern Moldova was next, now that Ukraine has pushed Russian forces out of Kherson, the threat for Moldova is diminishing. The Russian losses are mounting, they have no more resources to throw into this region of the conflict.