Russia’s strikes near Moldova raise alarm over Putin’s plans for Europe’s eastern flank

# Analysis Russia's campaign against Moldova represents a calculated test of Western commitment to Europe's post-Soviet states and a direct threat to the continent's energy and food security. By systematically targeting border infrastructure and airspace while maintaining its frozen conflict presence in Transnistria, Moscow is attempting to either force Moldova's government away from EU integration or create conditions of chaos that justify intervention—a playbook it has refined across Georgia, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan. The spike in airspace violations and coordinated strikes suggest Russia is expanding its operational tempo beyond Ukraine's borders, potentially signaling preparations for broader aggression once Ukrainian defenses are assessed or Western attention divides. For NATO members and EU aspirants in the region, Moldova's vulnerability illustrates that deterrence depends not on promises alone but on tangible defensive capabilities and integrated supply chains that cannot be severed by strikes on peripheral infrastructure.