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43m ago

Moldova Tightens Security Ahead of Vote Citing Expansive Russian Interference

Officials cite an expansive Kremlin effort to tilt the vote using money, disinformation, provocateurs, cyberattacks.

Irina Vlah, leader of the Heart of Moldova Republican Party and one of the leaders of the Patriotic Electoral Bloc, attends a rally launching the election campaign ahead of the parliamentary elections, at the Capriana Monastery in the village of Capriana, Moldova August 29, 2025. REUTERS/Vladislav Culiomza/File Photo
Women applaud at a rally of the Russia-friendly Patriotic Electoral Bloc in Chisinau, Moldova, Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025, ahead of parliamentary elections taking place on Sept. 28. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
Activists gather flags at the end of a rally of the Russia-friendly Patriotic Electoral Bloc in Chisinau, Moldova, Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025, ahead of parliamentary elections taking place on Sept. 28. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
A woman gets help with taking off a red shirt decorated with the hammer and sickle after attending a rally of the Russia-friendly Patriotic Electoral Bloc in Chisinau, Moldova, Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025, ahead of parliamentary elections taking place on Sept. 28. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

Overview

  • Ruling PAS leaders frame Sunday’s parliamentary contest as an existential choice that will shape Moldova’s direction for years.
  • Authorities say Russia is spending hundreds of millions of euros to influence the outcome through vote-buying, more than 1,000 cyberattacks and plans to incite unrest.
  • Police detained 74 people in roughly 250 raids this week linked to an alleged Russia-backed plot to organize riots and destabilize the country.
  • Britain’s Defense Ministry assessed that Russia is almost certainly running an extensive interference campaign, a claim Moscow rejects as unsubstantiated.
  • A Chisinau court restricted the Heart of Moldova party for 12 months over alleged illegal financing and voter bribery, as polls suggest PAS may struggle to retain a majority.