The puppet state, a concept yet underexplored by academia, emerges as an important adjunct in the contemporary international system. In the context of International Humanitarian Law, its use as a form of indirect occupation allows sponsor states or master states to largely avoid punishments for potential violations. This leads to the creation of instances of occupation with impunity, examined in this study through the case of Transnistria and its relationship with the Russian Federation. The phenomenon also poses significant challenges to accountability for human rights violations.