Moldovan police have uncovered a program in which hundreds of its citizens were allegedly trained in Russia to stage riots and civil unrest in Moldova, the latest claim of Kremlin meddling in the former Soviet republic of Sunday’s election.
Moldovan police and prosecutors said earlier this month that Russia-backed crime groups had bribed voters and plotted to disrupt this weekend’s presidential elections and a referendum on including European Union membership in the country’s constitution, going as far as plans to size state property.
Authorities said people had been regularly taken in groups of about 20 to undergo training in Russia since June.
Recently, more than 300 young people from Moldova have visited Russia. The stated intention was cultural events, when in fact they visited camps where they received instructions for riots in Moldova, country police chief Viorel Cernauteanu said.
Some of those people were trained in camps associated with private military companies on the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as Serbia, he said.
Four Moldovan citizens who participated have been detained, he added.
Moscow has denied meddling in Moldova, which has embarked on a pro-European path since Russia began its full-scale invasion of neighboring Ukraine in February 2022.
Moldovan police said they believed a group linked to fugitive pro-Kremlin businessman Ilan Shor had organized the training to stage unrest.
“The anti-corruption prosecutor’s office is currently conducting an investigation into several criminal cases related to the preparation of mass disturbance in the interests of the criminal community,” prosecutor Victor Furtuna said.
Shor, who is under U.S. sanctions for alleged election interference on behalf of Russia, denies wrongdoing or being a Russian political proxy.
Officials said they could only disclose some limited information due to an ongoing investigation. They said theyt had obtained evidence of the criminal group’s connection with Shor’s party, which has been banned.
