Moldovan President Maia Sandu has stated that Russia has expanded its interference in the country’s parliamentary elections scheduled for 28 September, targeting voters living abroad.

Source: Financial Times, as reported by European Pravda

Details: Sandu, who relied on the diaspora to win a second term last year and secure support for the country’s accession to the European Union, said that Moscow has intensified its online disinformation campaign. "The Russians are targeting the diaspora," Sandu said.

She accused Moscow of using Russian Orthodox priests to spread propaganda and of deploying the Matryoshka bot network to create fake content disguised as legitimate foreign media.

According to Sandu, Russia has spent the equivalent of 1% of Moldova’s GDP on interfering in the 2024 elections.

Sandu noted that Russia’s tactics are now evolving. She said that criminals on Moscow’s payroll are also being used to incite unrest in Moldovan prisons.

"It’s really a very wide range of tools that Russia is using . . . trying to overwhelm our institutions," she said.

She emphasised that, given the pressure from Russia and the risks confronting Moldova, "EU integration is the only way for us to survive as a democracy".

"We do believe that the EU should find a solution so that both Moldova and Ukraine will get to the next steps," she said.

Sandu described the upcoming parliamentary elections as the final hurdle on Moldova’s path to joining the EU.

Background:

• Parliamentary elections in Moldova will be held on 28 September and are considered decisive for the country’s future direction.
• A poll by iData released on 8 September showed that Sandu’s party had the support of less than 25% of respondents, while the pro-Russian Patriotic Electoral Bloc led the rankings.
• However, on 12 September, reports indicated that a poll by the International Republican Institute showed nearly 40% support for the incumbent president’s party ahead of the elections.

Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon !