Located between Ukraine and the EU member Romania, Moldova has received increased international media coverage since Russia's full-scale war invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022. In addition to coverage of pro-EU and pro-Russia parties battling for parliamentary control, there has been increased international reporting on the internationally unrecognized Kremlin-aligned Republic of Transnistria in eastern Moldova. Meaning "land beyond the Dniester," the name Transnistria refers to the area along the eastern lower reaches of the Dniester River. At the end of the 18th century, the region it was annexed by the Russian Empire. During the Soviet era, Transnistria was initially...