In 1990, while Moldova was still a Soviet republic, pro-Moscow separatists in Transnistria broke away from Moldova.

After Moldova declared independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, tension between the young republic and the breakaway region on the eastern bank of the Dniester River escalated into a full-blown war. 

The war ended with a ceasefire in July 1992, but the conflict remains unresolved, with Russian forces still stationed in Transnistria.

Today, a handful of villages in Transnistria are still under Moldovan jurisdiction. 

People in these five enclaves lead isolated lives and often feel forgotten by both the central government in the Moldovan capital, Chisinau, and by the authorities in Tiraspol, the capital of the self-proclaimed pro-Russian autonomous region. 

The tiny village of Vasilievca near the Ukrainian border is one of the most isolated of these enclaves. Without a school, town hall or even a grocery store, its residents — most of whom are elderly — face shortages and major challenges on a daily basis. 

Completely surrounded by Transnistria, their only connection to the Moldovan-run west bank of the Dniester River is a ferry. This means that for some purchases, they have to make a 40-kilometer (ca. 25 miles) round trip, which includes a ferry crossing. 

DW and RFI visited the villages of Vasilievca and Cocieri — two of very few media outlets to do so in recent years.