Moldova Accuses Russia of Recruiting 130,000 Citizens and Spending Millions to Disrupt Elections and EU Referendum

Moldova has uncovered a Russian-backed operation involving 130,000 citizens of the country aimed at influencing the vote during the referendum on EU accession.

The head of the Moldovan National Police, Viorel Cernauteanu, told reporters in Chisinau, Bloomberg reports.

‘Russia aims not only to corrupt voters, but also to provoke protests and destabilisation in Moldova,’ Cernauteanu said, providing video and audio intercepts.

According to the head of the national police, in September alone, activists of an electoral bloc linked to fugitive Moldovan oligarch Ilan Shor transferred $15 million from Russia to disinform, provoke and attack state institutions.

According to him, payments are made by transferring money to cards of a bank linked to the Russian Ministry of Defence. Meanwhile, the recipients of the funds receive instructions via Telegram on how to vote and spread false information about the European Union.

In Moldova, presidential elections and a referendum on accession to the European Union are scheduled for 20 October.