Law enforcement and armed forces of Pridnestrovie
Pridnestrovskaia Moldavskaia Respublica is peaceful by nature and has no expansionist claims against any other country. But as a sovereign state, Pridnestrovie is of course in control of its internal law and order and of the defense of the nation: It has its own border guards and customs inspectors, its own law enforcement and its own professional military.
Pridnestrovie is by no means a militaristic nation. But like any other sovereign country, it has its own border guards, law enforcement and professional armed forces. And because the memory of Moldova's failed 1992 invasion is still fresh in the minds of many Pridnestrovians, some of them decided to also form a voluntary citizens' home guard which regularly combine cookouts with combat training. Here's a quick overview of the men, women and elderly who can take up arms if ever Moldova decides to rattle its saber again...
State security and border patrols
The ministry of state security has some 2,000 personnel and includes a special Delta battalion of approximately 150 troops, a Cossack reserve regiment of roughly 200, and approximately 800 border guards and customs inspectors in a total of 44 border offices stationed along the 816 km long international frontier with Moldova and with Ukraine. There are bases for border guard regiments in all major cities of Pridnestrovie: Tiraspol, Kamenka, Rybnitsa, Dubossary, Grigoriopol, Bender, and Slobozya.
Police
The Ministry for Internal Affairs, charged with law enforcement, has about 10,000 police and other law enforcement personnel in nine militia divisions, plus an elite Dniester battalion of some 500 troops. Until the end of 2006, they were headed by Polish-born "top cop" Alex Korolev who is now the country's Vice President.
No age restriction: Patriotic volunteers may freely join the Home Guard to prepare for the worst, should the country ever suffer invasion again.
Armed Forces
The defence ministry is responsible for external security. Its forces consist primarily of four motorized rifle brigades, a tank battalion, an artillery regiment, and an anti-aircraft regiment. The standing army has some 4,500 troops plus an estimated 15,000 who can be mobilized. It has eighteen T-64 tanks, 69 armored personnel carriers, and a small airborne division consisting of eight helicopters and five airplanes.
Voluntary Citizens' Home Guard
The People's Militia, a voluntary citizens home guard modelled after Swiss and Israeli reservist forces, is a regularly trained and well armed force of 2,000, about seventy percent of whom have some combat experience. It is organized in 7 battalations and incorporates everyone with a patriotic interest in the defense of Pridnestrovie's statehood. It is open to all citizens of Pridnestrovie who wish to volunteer for defending the country — and because there is no age restriction, a striking sight on training days is the appearance of grey-haired elderly "babushkas" in full combat uniform, cheerfully reporting for duty to the defence ministry.Perhaps a bit more on the battle-ready side, the ministry can also rely on the ten regiments under control of the Cossacks Assembly of the Black Sea Army which can be mobilized in times of conflict.
