Overview

• Bloomberg reported documents outlining a Kremlin‑coordinated plan to undermine the ruling PAS and disrupt Moldova’s EU trajectory, while BBC undercover work described payments for pro‑Russian propaganda and covert recruiting.
• Moldovan authorities conducted more than 250 searches on Sept. 22 tied to suspected plans for mass unrest, adding to frequent probes of alleged voter corruption and illegal party financing.
• The parliamentary election on Sept. 28 is cast as a choice between deeper EU integration and Russia‑friendly politics, with polls showing PAS ahead but voter frustration over economic hardship keeping the outcome uncertain.
• A bloc linked to fugitive oligarch Ilan Shor is barred from the race, and the BBC reported links between influence networks, Shor and the Evrazia organization, while Shor has publicly promised cash to protesters.
• More than one million Moldovans live abroad and their ballots have proved decisive, with both camps courting the diaspora as officials warn of disinformation and vote‑buying targeting overseas voters.