Russia’s annexation of Crimea has led some to wonder whether any other former Soviet countries could follow. The separatist region of Trans-Dniester has already offered itself to Moscow – a request which Russia has promised to consider.
“It’s been getting much worse in the past few months,” said a mother of two who didn’t want to give her real name and called herself Anna.
“They have closed, let me see….” she counts on her fingers. “Eight blogging sites. The secret police are so active now.”
We were having coffee in the centre of Tiraspol, capital of the tiny, unrecognised state of Trans-Dniester that lives in a time-warped other age.