Media reveal alleged Russian plot to influence Moldovan parliamentary elections
Moscow has devised a plan to interfere in the Moldovan parliamentary elections and disrupt the country's path toward EU membership, Bloomberg reported on Sept. 22, citing documents it had seen.
Separately, a BBC investigation published on Sept. 21 uncovered that a secret Russia-funded network is attempting to influence the outcome of the upcoming vote.
The news comes before the Sept. 28 elections, in which a group of Russian-friendly parties will challenge the ruling pro-European Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) with potentially major ramifications for Moldova's EU accession efforts.
The documents uncovered by Bloomberg outline a multi-layered strategy reportedly coordinated directly by the Kremlin.
The goal is to undermine the chances of Moldovan President Maia Sandu's PAS party and ultimately remove her from power, the news outlet reported.
According to the documents, the Kremlin's tactics include recruiting Moldovan citizens living abroad, including in Russia, to vote at polling stations in the EU and other countries, organizing disruptive protests, and running a widespread disinformation campaign on social media.
Undercover reporting by BBC journalists also uncovered that a Russian-funded network offered payments to individuals willing to spread pro-Russian propaganda and fake news aimed at discrediting Sandu's party.
The BBC found that participants were paid to covertly recruit supporters of pro-Russian opposition parties and conduct so-called polls on behalf of a non-existent organization.
The BBC investigation also revealed links between the network and fugitive pro-Kremlin oligarch Ilan Shor and the non-profit organization Evrazia, which is associated with him.
In July, Shor announced that his Victory Bloc was planning to participate in Moldova's parliamentary elections.
Sandu's PAS faces a challenge from several groups, including the nominally pro-EU Alternative Bloc and a pro-Russian party led by former Moldovan President Igor Dodon.
According to separate documents reviewed by Bloomberg, Dodon allegedly asked security services to monitor political opponents while in office. Dodon denied any wrongdoing.
In an open letter posted on social media, the ex-president also accused the current government of illegally pressuring opposition parties.
Moldovan law enforcement agencies carried out more than 250 searches across the country on Sept. 22 as part of an investigation into plans to incite mass unrest and destabilization, Moldovan news outlet NewsMaker reported.
Chisianu has long warned against Moscow's attempt to destabilize Moldova. Last year, pro-EU Sandu secured re-election by a narrow margin against Alexandr Stoianoglo, a former top prosecutor backed by Dodon. The president said Russia attempted to interfere in the vote.
Sandu has condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine and pushed for Moldova's EU membership. Russia, in turn, claims many Moldovans want to maintain ties with Moscow and accuses Sandu of fostering "Russophobia."
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen pledged on July 4 that the European Union will help Moldova defend itself against hybrid threats by "agents of autocracy" as elections approach.
