Moldova expels 3 Russian diplomats for aiding fugitive MP's escape to Transnistria

Moldova expelled three Russian embassy employees on March 31, citing activities contrary to diplomatic status, the country's Foreign Ministry announced.

The move follows reports that Moldovan lawmaker Alexandr Nesterovschi, sentenced to 12 years in prison for illegally financing the banned pro-Russian Shor Party, escaped to Russian-controlled Transnistria with help from Russian diplomats, according to Moldovan media Newsmaker.

Transnistria is a Russian-occupied breakaway region of Moldova that Moscow invaded in the early 1990s under the pretext of protecting the Russian population.

The Moldovan Information and Security Service confirmed that Nesterovschi, convicted on March 19 for corruption, fled to Transnistria with Moscow's assistance.

The Foreign Ministry summoned Russian Ambassador Oleg Ozerov and delivered a formal expulsion notice for three embassy employees. Russian state media TASS quoted Ozerov dismissing the accusations as "groundless and unsubstantiated."

The pro-Russian Shor Party, led by fugitive oligarch Ilan Shor, has been accused of spreading Kremlin-backed narratives and attempting to destabilize Moldova through protests against its pro-European government.

In a related case, Evghenia Gutul, governor of Moldova's Gagauzia region and a key Shor Party figure, was detained at Chisinau Airport on March 25 while attempting to leave the country.

Moldova's Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office alleges she funneled Russian funds into the country while serving as the party's secretary. Gutul, elected in July 2023, has maintained ties with Moscow, meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin during a visit to Russia in March 2024.

Chisinau has actively countered Russian influence, expelling dozens of Russian diplomats and embassy staff in July 2023 over espionage concerns.

Tensions escalated further after Chisinau said that Russian drones repeatedly violated Moldovan airspace during attacks on Ukraine, with some of the drones crashing on Moldovan territory.