Moldovan Police Uncover Russian-Backed Plot to Train Citizens for Riots

Moldovan police announced on October 17 that they had uncovered a scheme involving hundreds of Moldovan citizens being taken to Russia for training to incite riots and civil unrest, Reuters reports.

This revelation is only one in a series of meddling allegations ahead of Sunday’s presidential elections and referendum vote on joining the European Union.

At the beginning of October, Moldovan officials accused Moscow of creating a network to distribute cash to sway voters against closer ties with the West. 

Authorities alleged that the pro-Russian oligarch Ilan Shor was at the center of the scheme, which aimed to influence the upcoming elections by paying citizens to vote against pro-European Union policies.

According to the publication, the Moldovan police revealed that law enforcement agencies believe a group connected to the same pro-Kremlin businessman Ilan Shor organized the riot trainings.

Moldova’s National Police Chief, Viorel Cernauteanu, reported that over 300 young Moldovans recently traveled to Russia under the guise of attending cultural events. In reality, they were taken to camps where they received instructions on how to incite riots in Moldova.

Incidents of Russian sabotage and interfering in elections have been on the rise since the beginning of Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, with constant new reports appearing.

Moldovan authorities have recently accused Russia of attempting to interfere in its upcoming presidential election and EU membership referendum by planning to bus in voters to the Moldovan Embassy in Moscow to sway the results, aiming to manipulate the outcome of the elections.