Russia is said to have drawn up a plan to intervene in the forthcoming Moldova elections and overturn the government’s efforts to maintain the country on the accession to the European Union, Bloomberg reveals.

According to documents examined by the agency, the Kremlin organized a multidimensional strategy aimed at hurting the September 28 elections by the pro -European President Mai Sandou to remove power.

Moldova is a battlefield between pro -European and pro -Russian political forces, while Sunday’s elections are held less than a year after the referendum for joining the EU, which was approved by a slight difference, amid the government’s claims for Kremlin intervention.

Kremlin’s plan, according to Bloomberg, includes the hiring molders of nationals abroad to vote in constituencies in the EU and in other parts of the world, hiring people to cause riotas well as a extensive campaign misinformation on social media. Also Moscow was planning to use incriminating material to push public officers in order to disrupt the electoral process.

As Bloomberg notes, it cannot confirm whether Russia eventually implemented its plans, as the election campaign in Moldova is peaking this week. However, two European officials said they were ‘almost certain»How Moscow intended to applied to a great extent.

At the same time, the Moldovan police have take strict measures against misinformation campaigns and voting attempts. Last month, authorities requested 443 accounts to be blocked in Tiktok.

Will Moldova go on the EU path or will it turn to Russia?

Upcoming elections are critical as they will judge whether the country will continue its European course or will turn to Moscowat a time when Vladimir Putin has not shown a willingness to end the war with neighboring Ukraine.

Moldova, a former country of the Soviet Union, has a significant Russian -speaking minority among its 2.4 million inhabitants. At the same time, the split Hypernotestere remains under Russian occupationwhile the leader of the Gagauzia region was convicted by a Moldovan court for illegally channeling Russian money to a political party.

‘The goal of the Kremlin is clear: To understand Moldova through electionsto use us against Ukraine and turn us into a launch base hybrid attacks against the European Union‘, Santu said in Strasbourg on September 9th.

“That’s why these elections are very important. Defending the elections, we protect not only Moldova but also regional security and stability. “ added.

The EU has supported the country’s accession course and leaders such as Emmanuel Macronthe German Chancellor Friedrich Mertz and the Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk They visited Chisinau in late August.

Sandu’s party (PAS) promises to launch the process of joining the EU and ensure access to the necessary funds after the start of accession negotiations last year. However, latest polls show that the Pas may lose the parliamentary majorityincreasing the chances of forming an unstable alliance.

PAS has opponents the pro -European, as presented, “Alternative” block and the pro -Russian bloc, led by the former president Igor Dodonwho had revealed that he asked the security services to monitor his political opponents when he was in power. Dodon accuses the government of illegal pressure on opposition parties and claims that “Western powers” are interfering with the election campaign, threatening to stop helping if PAS loses.

According to European officials, the Russia has dedicates important resources to to influence elections not only in Moldova, but also in Georgia and Romania. Santu estimated that Moscow spent the 1% of its GDP, about EUR 150 million, to influence last year’s referendum and re -election.

European officials consider very likely that Similar amounts have been allocated to the forthcoming elections.

One of the main elements of Russia’s plan is to create the impression of intense political competitionwhich in fact aims to weaken the support for Sandu, according to documents cited by Bloomberg.

Moldovan votes abroad were decisive in the 2024 elections. So, in the context of its plans, Russia allegedly intended to recruit Members of Moldovan Diasporapaying their tickets to travel and vote. Plans also included misinformation In Telegram, Tiktok and Facebook, but also through traditional channels.

Messages in Romanian, which is the formal language of Moldova, and in the Russian They accused Sandu of being “West puppet leading the country to misery and war“

At the same time, Russia allegedly planned recruitment Young men from sports clubs and criminal networks To organize violent demonstrations during and after the elections, calling for Sandu’s resignation if her party loses, or denouncing the result, if she wins.