Overview

• Moldova expelled three Russian diplomats, citing evidence of their involvement in helping pro-Kremlin lawmaker Alexander Nesterovschii evade a 12-year prison sentence.
• Surveillance footage reportedly shows Nesterovschii entering the Russian Embassy in Chisinau before being transported to Transnistria in a vehicle with diplomatic plates.
• Russia denies the allegations, calling them baseless, and has pledged unspecified retaliatory measures in response to the expulsions.
• Moldova continues its crackdown on pro-Russian political figures, detaining Gagauzia Governor Eugenia Gutul on charges of illegal political funding as she attempted to leave the country.
• These developments come as Moldova prepares for parliamentary elections later this year and advances its bid to join the EU by 2030, against the backdrop of heightened tensions with Russia.