On 22 September, Moldovan authorities detained over 100 people during 250 raids as part of an investigation into an alleged Moscow-backed plan to organize “mass riots” and destabilize the country ahead of parliamentary elections.
This was announced by Victor Furtună, Moldova’s chief prosecutor from the Office for Combating Organized Crime and Special Cases.
According to police, the raids took place in several localities across the country. Seventy-four people were detained for up to 72 hours, and most suspects, aged between 19 and 45, had been “regularly traveling” to Serbia for training, Furtună said. Police chief Viorel Cernăuțeanu added that some suspects were unaware of the real purpose of their trips—presented to them as pilgrimages—and only later became involved in “preparations for unrest and destabilization” in Moldova. Police also stated that the plan to organize riots was “coordinated from the Russian Federation through criminal elements.”
The authorities stressed that the investigation “is not directed against political organizations.” The goal of the operation is “to document the criminal intentions and organization of individuals who traveled to Serbia for training,” the statement said.
After the searches, President Maia Sandu said the Kremlin is spending “hundreds of millions of euros” to try to influence the elections. “People are intoxicated with lies every day,” she stated, adding that Russia pays “hundreds” of Moldovans to provoke unrest and violence. According to Sandu, the Kremlin “has accomplices here in Moldova” who are ready “to sell their country for money.”
Parliamentary elections are scheduled in Moldova for 28 September, which experts see as a choice between the country’s continued movement toward EU membership and closer ties with Moscow. Moldova was granted EU candidate status in 2022, and Sandu aims for full membership by 2030.
Since the start of Russia’s war in Ukraine, President Sandu has repeatedly accused Moscow of trying to stage a coup in the republic. According to her, the Kremlin has hired people to participate in anti-government demonstrations, conducted disinformation campaigns, bribed voters, and funded pro-Kremlin parties.
