The concern now affects Moldova. This Monday, President Maia Sandu detailed Moscow’s alleged plans to overthrow the pro-European power in Chisinau. “The plan envisages attacks on state buildings and kidnappings by saboteurs with a military background disguised in civilian clothes,” the Moldovan head of state told the press.
This information, mentioned by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Brussels last week, comes from documents intercepted by the Ukrainian intelligence services. Moldovan intelligence then confirmed the information without giving details, saying it had “identified activities aimed at weakening and destabilizing this former Soviet republic of 2.6 million people between Romania and Ukraine.”
“The goal is to overthrow the constitutional order and replace the legitimate power of Chisinau with an illegitimate one,” added the head of state, who has been in office since December 2020. In her opinion, the Kremlin relies on “the participation of internal forces”. ‘ like the party of the fugitive pro-Russian oligarch Ilan Sor, but also possible Russian, Belarusian, Serbian and Montenegrin nationals.
Russia denies
In this context, Maia Sandu announced a strengthening of security measures, with a draft law aimed at providing prosecutors and intelligence services “with the necessary tools to effectively combat national security risks”.
The country temporarily closed its airspace between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. “Dear passengers, at the moment when Moldova’s airspace is closed, we are waiting for flights to resume. Flight schedules scheduled today will be changed,” Air Moldova wrote on its Facebook page. According to the Moldovan Civil Aviation Authority, quoted by TVR Moldova, this measure was taken “to ensure the safety of civil aviation”.
Moldova, a candidate to join the European Union since the summer of 2022, also has to deal with the threat of Russian soldiers and a large Russian stockpile of ammunition in the pro-Russian separatist region of Transnistria.
Moscow denies
This Tuesday Moscow denied any attempt at destabilization. The Moldovan head of state’s claims are “absolutely unfounded and without evidence,” the Russian Foreign Ministry condemned in a press release. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said last week that his country had intercepted documents showing a plan to destabilize Moldova. Russia accuses Ukraine of being the source of this “disinformation” to fuel tensions between Moscow and Chisinau.
In response to this information, the United States reiterated its support for Moldova on Tuesday. “We are deeply concerned by reports of a Russian conspiracy to destabilize the democratically elected government of Moldova,” State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters. He further insisted that Washington was working with the Moldovan authorities to “counter Russia’s long-term efforts to undermine the country’s democratic institutions.”