Moldovan authorities have exposed a russian operation to bribe over 130,000 Moldovan citizens in an attempt to influence voters and block the country’s path to joining the European Union. This was reported by Espreso citing Bloomberg and NewsMaker.
According to the head of Moldova’s national police, Viorel Cernauteanu, russia transferred $15 million to Moldovans' accounts in September alone. The funds were intended for spreading disinformation, provoking incidents, and attacking government institutions.
These payments were made through a bank linked to russia’s Ministry of Defense, and recipients were instructed via Telegram on how to vote and spread false information about the EU.
“Russia seeks not only to corrupt voters but also to provoke protests and destabilization within Moldova”, - said the head of the police.
Moldova's chief anti-corruption prosecutor, Veronica Dragalin, stated that citizens who opened bank accounts in russia to receive bribery funds for influencing voters face fines, asset confiscation, or imprisonment.