Russia will attempt to interfere in the parliamentary elections in Moldova in 2025 - intelligence services.

Russia plans to interfere in the elections in Moldova in 2025 - head of SIS

Alexandru Mustiață, head of the Information and Security Service (SIS) of Moldova, stated that Russia plans to interfere in the parliamentary elections in Moldova in 2025.

A discussion took place in the Parliament of Moldova regarding voter bribery. Mustiață's report discusses identified violations and external interference in the electoral process. According to him, an operational command center was established in Moscow, coordinated by the Russian authorities. The main objective of this center was to compromise the constitutional referendum on Eurointegration and the presidential elections in Moldova.

According to Mustiață, Russia appointed former Moldovan oligarch Ilan Shor as the leader of the 'criminal group'. They also provided Shor with all the necessary resources - financial, media, personnel, and technical.

"The SIS, together with the authorities and foreign partners, promptly and immediately responded to external interference and other serious risks related to the electoral process, taking a variety of measures within their competence. We identified and halted the activities of pseudo-observers who participated in monitoring the elections, prevented cyber attacks on the electoral infrastructure, documented cases of voter bribery, etc.," the SIS report states.

According to Mustiață, Russia plans to apply the same strategy in the elections in 2025 to gain control over the Moldovan parliament.

"Their strategy has been, is, and will remain the same: the infiltration of individuals and organizations, affiliated or controlled, including covertly, by Russia to gain control over the parliament and, accordingly, other state institutions. This strategy is based on political and electoral corruption, disinformation, manipulation, as well as street actions and riots," said the head of the SIS.