Overview

• Police said the searches relate to a criminal case into preparations for mass unrest coordinated from the Russian Federation, days before the Sept. 28 parliamentary election.
• Prosecutors reported suspects aged 19 to 45 who repeatedly traveled to Serbia for training, with some trips presented as pilgrimages, and said detainees can be held up to 72 hours.
• Security officials alleged oversight by Russian operative Andrei Pavlov with support from fugitive oligarch Ilan Shor, citing seizures of weapons, ammunition, tents and passports during the operation.
• President Maia Sandu accused Moscow of pouring hundreds of millions of euros into buying votes and paying provocateurs, while pro-Russian leaders such as Igor Dodon called the raids intimidation and Russia denied interference.
• Bloomberg and the BBC reported documents and undercover findings on plans to recruit diaspora voters, organize disruptive protests and run disinformation, as watchdogs tracked AI-generated content, spoofed outlets and paid engagement farms, with YouTube terminating over 1,000 channels since 2024 tied to influence operations.