Russia seeks to divide Moldova ahead of EU summit – Intel

According to intelligence reports, Russia has stepped up its hybrid operations against Moldova ahead of the Moldova–EU summit. The campaign is being coordinated by Sergei Kiriyenko, First Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office, who is responsible for countering Chișinău’s European integration efforts and promoting pro-Russian forces.

His objective is to install a pro-Russian government in Moldova.

The Kremlin's operation targets multiple fronts

Media manipulation: A pro-Kremlin bot network known as Matryoshka is spreading fake videos designed to resemble content from leading European media outlets such as Deutsche Welle, Spiegel, Euronews, and Business Insider, aiming to discredit Moldovan President Maia Sandu.

Diplomatic pressure: On June 25, Russia accused two Moldovan citizens of espionage and denied them consular access. Moldova's Ministry of Foreign Affairs dismissed the allegations as unfounded and politically motivated.

Security threats: Under the guise of a kickboxing championship, Russian and Belarusian athletes with military backgrounds attempted to enter Chișinău. Entry was denied to 195 individuals, and another 176 were blocked from boarding flights.

Moldova has accused Moscow of deliberately attempting to destabilize the country ahead of the parliamentary elections scheduled for September 28.

According to Prime Minister Dorin Recean, if pro-Russian forces succeed in the elections, the Kremlin plans to deploy 10,000 troops in the breakaway region of Transnistria.

Moldova's EU accession

On June 26, Romanian President Nicușor Dan announced that the European Union will open the first cluster of accession negotiations with Moldova on July 4.

The Czechia previously developed a plan for the gradual integration of both Ukraine and Moldova into the EU's internal market.