Moldova said Wednesday that reports that the Russian military was trying to recruit Moldovan civilians were dangerous and that it regularly discussed all issues with Russian officials when asked about the war in Ukraine. The comments came days after British military intelligence said Moscow was trying to replenish its forces in Ukraine by recruiting in the breakaway region of Transnistria. read more Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register Transnistria is a narrow strip of land held by pro-Russian separatists that stretches along eastern Moldova, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) from the Ukrainian port of Odessa. read more Asked by local journalists about alleged Russian attempts to recruit people to Transnistria, Moldovan Foreign Minister Nicu Popescu said: “These are not actions that contribute to peace for all of us, for our citizens, for our families and are things and they must be discouraged. “ “There are a number of regular meetings between my colleagues at the Foreign Ministry and the ambassador of the Russian Federation, where Moldova is clearly stating its position.” The Moscow Foreign Ministry did not respond to a request for comment. Reuters was unable to verify whether the Russian army was trying to recruit Moldovans. On Thursday, Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar said Russia was mobilizing troops in various areas, including Transnistria, for a “further escalation” in Ukraine. Moldova said last month it was monitoring the situation in Transnistria, where an estimated 1,500 Russian troops are stationed, but had not seen significant changes since Russia’s February 24 invasion of Ukraine. read more Transnistrian authorities on Monday denied that Russia was conducting any military preparations on its territory that threatened Ukraine. The region’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday on Ukrainian Malyar’s statements. Moscow calls its actions in Ukraine a “special operation” to destroy Ukraine’s military capabilities and eradicate what it considers dangerous nationalists, but Ukraine and the West say Russia has launched an unprovoked offensive war. Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register Report by Alexander Tanas Additional Report by Natalia Zinets Written by Alexander Winning Edited by William Maclean and Frances Kerry Our role models: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.