Russia has provided $30 million to support the Transdnestrian ruble, leader of Moldova’s breakaway republic of Transdnestr Yevgeny Shevchuk said.

“We received today a tranche in the Russian ruble equivalent of about $30 million to stabilize the Transdnestrian currency,” Shevchuk said in a televised interview on Thursday.

“It is a serious element of help to ensure that our state, our people live in stable conditions,” he said, adding that more aid was expected to come from Moscow.

The move follows the recent visit of Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin to the region.

The Russian-speaking province of Transdnestr has maintained de facto independence from Moldova since a brief war in 1992 following the breakup of the Soviet Union.

Cash-strapped Transdnestr has a population of 550,000, a per capita GDP of $1,800 and a budget deficit of 70 percent.

Russia, which froze indefinitely its $300-million support line to Tiraspol in January, has pledged to continue footing the bill for additional retirement payments, as well as partially fund the region’s education spending.

Moscow has been shelling out a monthly $15 for each of around 130,000 Transdnestrian retirees since 2006.