Moldova accuses Russia of organising pre-election vandalism

Moldova has blamed a recent spate of attacks on government and state buildings in the capital Chisinau on Moscow, saying Russia is trying to influence next month’s election.

In just four weeks time Moldova will hold both a presidential election and a referendum on EU membership – on October 20th.

The government has repeatedly accused Russia of conducting a “hybrid war” against the country, meddling in local elections and running vast disinformation campaigns to try to topple the government and derail its path toward joining the EU.

Early on Friday morning the buildings of the Supreme Court and the state-run broadcaster were both sprayed with paint, and overnight on Thursday the Ministry for Labour and Social Protection was also spray-painted.

The police say they have made a number of arrests and are investigating leads that Moscow may have organised the attacks.

US support for Moldova

In May, US secretary of state Antony Blinken pledged €124 million in aid to Moldova for energy security and to counter Russian disinformation.

“That in turn will bolster the ability of Moldovans to resist Russian interference, to hold free and fair elections, to continue down the path to the European Union and Western integration, to create more economic opportunity,” Blinken said during his visit to Chisinau.

Moldova, with about 2.5 million people, used to be entirely dependent on Russia for its natural gas supplies. It faced an acute energy crisis after Moscow dramatically reduced supplies in the winter of 2022.

Moldova’s energy woes worsened that year after it suffered temporary blackouts because its Soviet-era energy systems remained connected with Ukraine’s, which were being hit hard by Russia’s military.

Russia’s influence in Transnistria

Since Russia invaded Ukraine two years ago, fears have risen in neighbouring Moldova that it could also be in Moscow’s crosshairs.

Like Ukraine, Moldova is a former Soviet republic that has aligned itself with the West and aspires to join the European Union.

Moldova gained independence from the former Soviet Union in 1991 and after a short war in the early 1990s, Transnistria declared independence from Moldova.

Although Transnistria’s independence isn’t recognised by any U.N. member countries, including Russia, the Kremlin-friendly territory has become a source of tension during the war, especially since it is wedged between Moldova and Ukraine and is home to a military base with 1,500 Russian troops.