Moldova battles Russian network as election bribery scandal unfolds

Moldova is facing an unprecedented phenomenon of voter bribery, combined with hybrid warfare and disinformation, warned Viorel Cernăuțeanu, head of the Moldovan police, during a press conference held on Thursday.

Moldovan investigators revealed that over 130,000 Moldovan citizens' accounts received approximately 15 million dollars from Russia within the last month. This money is intended to bribe voters ahead of the upcoming presidential elections and the referendum regarding the country's future in the European Union.

Politico reports that Russia has invested significant resources in propaganda and voter intimidation, trying to disrupt Moldova's pro-European course. These actions occur against the backdrop of Moldova's path to integration with the European Union—the country obtained EU candidate status in 2022, and accession talks began this summer.

Stanislav Secrieru, an advisor on national security, told Politico that Russia has allocated around 100 million euros for destabilizing actions in Moldova. He believes this process might be just the beginning of new methods of interference that other European countries could face in the future.

To counter Russian influence, the European Union has deployed a civilian mission to Moldova to support defense against hybrid threats. In the years leading up to the current elections, pro-Russian forces in Moldova already attempted, according to Ukrainian sources, to carry out a failed coup, with one of its main architects supposedly being Ilan Shor.

Moldovan authorities are counting on Western support, emphasizing that the success of these efforts is crucial for the country's democratic future and further alignment with European structures.