National Security Adviser Stanislav Secrieru told Politico that officials have observed a sharp rise in disinformation aimed at nearly a quarter of a million diaspora voters ahead of the September vote, a critical test for the pro-Western government.“Russia and its proxies are now actively focusing their efforts on the Moldovan diaspora,” Secrieru said, describing a renewed blitz by a Kremlin-backed network called Matryoshka. Their tactics involve setting up fake outlets that mimic real ones and spreading false information through them.“The campaign is designed to demobilize diaspora voters — encouraging them to stay home — and to manipulate those who do vote into supporting a fake pro-EU force. Disguised to imitate the look and tone of legitimate European media outlets, these fabricated reports aim to erode trust in Moldova’s democratic institutions and sow confusion among Moldovan communities abroad,” he added.The vote on Sept. 28 could see “possible disruptions similar to those seen in previous elections — such as hoax bomb threats at polling stations in European cities — or staged protests abroad aimed at projecting false dissatisfaction,” Secrieru said. He added that other countries must enhance their monitoring and be prepared to counter any attempts to influence the election before, during, and after voting.On July 30, Moldovan President Maia Sandu stated that Russia is preparing unprecedented interference in the parliamentary elections scheduled for September.