Moldovan authorities have warned that Russia will step up its efforts to interfere in the country’s parliamentary elections by targeting Moldovan voters living throughout Europe.

Source: Politico, as reported by European Pravda

Details: Stanislav Secrieru, National Security Advisor to Moldova’s president, stated in an interview with Politico that Moldovan officials have observed a sharp increase in disinformation targeting the nearly quarter of a million Moldovan diaspora voters.

"Russia and its proxies are now actively focusing their efforts on the Moldovan diaspora," he said, specifically pointing to renewed activity of the Kremlin-backed Matryoshka network, which creates fake media outlets and uses them to spread false narratives.

"The campaign is designed to demobilise diaspora voters – encouraging them to stay home – and to manipulate those who do vote into supporting a fake pro-EU force," Secrieru said.

He added that fabricated reports are being used to undermine trust in Moldova’s democratic institutions and to sow confusion among Moldovans living abroad.

Secrieru warned that similar disruptions to those seen in previous elections could happen again during the upcoming 28 September vote, for example, "hoax bomb threats at polling stations in European cities – or staged protests abroad aimed at projecting false dissatisfaction".

He emphasised that other countries must strengthen monitoring and be prepared to respond to any attempts to interfere before, during and after the election.

Background:

• Recently, President Maia Sandu also warned of an unprecedented attempt by Russia to meddle in Moldova’s parliamentary elections.
• Sandu anticipates disinformation campaigns and public opinion manipulation from abroad, the organisation of paid protests and sabotage of diaspora voting.
• Moldova’s parliamentary elections are scheduled for 28 September.

Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon !