Former Moldovan leader who steered nation toward independence dies at 82

The first president of the Republic of Moldova, Mircea Snegur, died at the age of 82, the former Deputy Prime Minister of the country Constantin Tampiza announced on Facebook.

As Tampiza wrote, Mircea Snegur died on September 13 at 11:30 p.m. from an "incurable disease."

Snegur served as the President of Moldova from 1990 until the beginning of 1997, during his tenure the state sovereignty and independence of the Republic of Moldova was declared. Also, during his presidency, Russia occupied the Transnistria region under a fictitious pretext.

The President of Moldova, Maia Sandu, expressed her condolences to Snegur's family and relatives and announced that the day of his funeral will be declared a day of mourning.

"Snegur lived in historical times and played an important role in establishing the independence, freedom and sovereignty of Moldova. He will remain in our memory as a person who stood by the sources of the republic's independence," she emphasized.

On May 10, 2022, the first president of Ukraine, Leonid Kravchuk, died  In the summer of 2021, he underwent heart surgery.