Russia will attempt to open a new front against Ukraine from Moldova, according to Ukrainian military sources cited by The Times.
A source who spoke to the British newspaper said there are "numerous indications" pointing to an attack in the near future in the former Soviet state, which currently has just 3,250 troops. A successful takeover of Moldova would drive Russian troops into Odessa from the west.
"We believe that the Kremlin has already taken the decision to attack Moldova. The fate of Moldova is very critical. If the Russians start to take control, we will be, militarily, an easier target and the threat to Ukraine will be existential," a Ukrainian source said.
The heads of French and German diplomacy Jean-Yves Le Drian and Annalena Berbock respectively expressed last week their determination to support Moldova, in the face of the "risks of destabilisation" it faces.
"The ministers discussed the European response in the face of the war in Ukraine and referred to the continuation and deepening of support to this country," a French Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said.
Authorities in the self-proclaimed pro-Russian republic of Transnistria in Moldova said last Wednesday that shots were fired overnight "from the territory of Ukraine" at a village where an ammunition depot of Russian forces deployed in the Moldovan enclave is located.
These new "incidents" added to the "explosions" denounced by the separatist authorities of Transnistria in recent days maintain the tension and contribute to the creation of a climate conducive to the expansion of Russia's military operations in the pro-Russian enclave.
Washington has warned, without naming Russia, of attempts to escalate tensions in Transnistria. "We remain concerned about any possible attempt to escalate tensions," State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters.
"We don't know all the details. We echo the Moldovan government's calls for calm in the face of these events and we fully support Moldova's territorial integrity and sovereignty."
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