NextFin news, On Tuesday, September 23, 2025, Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) publicly accused the European Union and NATO of preparing to invade and occupy Moldova after the upcoming parliamentary elections scheduled for September 28. The SVR claimed that NATO forces are massing troops in neighboring Romania and the Ukrainian port city of Odesa, allegedly preparing to deploy forces to intimidate the breakaway region of Transnistria and suppress protests in Moldova.
The SVR statement, disseminated through Russian state media outlets including TASS and reported by The Moscow Times, accused "Euro-bureaucrats in Brussels" of intending to keep Moldova aligned with what it described as "Russophobic policies" at any cost, including military occupation. The agency also alleged attempts by European officials to falsify votes in Moldova's elections. However, the SVR did not provide any evidence to support these claims.
Moldovan authorities have rejected these allegations. The Moldovan Defense Ministry stated that rumors about British soldiers deployed on the border with Transnistria and the arrival of over 800 NATO soldiers after the elections are unfounded and part of Russia's hybrid warfare aimed at destabilizing Moldova ahead of the vote.
On September 22, Moldovan police conducted a large-scale security operation involving approximately 250 raids and the detention of 74 individuals suspected of being involved in a Russia-backed plot to incite mass unrest around the elections. Authorities reported uncovering about $50,000 in cash and tracing illicit cryptocurrency flows totaling approximately $540,000, allegedly linked to Russian criminal groups financing political activities in Moldova.
Moldovan President Maia Sandu has repeatedly warned that Russia is attempting to destabilize the country and derail its pro-European integration path. She stated that the Kremlin is spending hundreds of millions of euros to influence the election and that Moldova's sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity, and European future are at risk.
Independent reports, including from Bloomberg, have detailed Russian plans to interfere in Moldova's elections through disinformation campaigns, recruitment of voters abroad, organizing protests, and exerting pressure on officials to weaken the pro-European government and undermine Moldova's EU accession efforts.
The Center for Countering Disinformation of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council characterized the Russian claims as information provocations designed to create an image of an external threat and mobilize pro-Russian voters in Moldova.
The parliamentary elections on September 28 are widely viewed as a critical choice between Moldova's continued integration with the European Union and closer ties with Russia. The ongoing tensions and disinformation campaigns underscore the geopolitical struggle over Moldova's future alignment.
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