Russia acting to destabilise Moldova: Chisinau

Moldova's intelligence service said Thursday (9 February) that Russia was acting to destabilise the ex-Soviet country, following comments by Ukraine's president that Kyiv had intercepted a plan by Moscow.

"SIS confirms that, both from the information presented by our Ukrainian partner and also from our operative activities, subversive activities with the aim of undermining the Republic of Moldova, of destabilisation and violating the public order were identified," Moldova's Intelligence and Security Service said in a statement.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, addressing an EU summit earlier Thursday, told EU heads of government that Kyiv had "intercepted the plan for the destruction of Moldova by Russian intelligence".

"This document shows who, when and how it is going to break the democracy of Moldova and establish control over Moldova," he said, adding he had immediately warned Chisinau.

He added that Kyiv did not know "whether Moscow indeed gave an order to follow that plan".

The SIS statement said SIS could not give any more details "because there's the risk of jeopardising different ongoing operational activities".

"We are reassuring Moldova's citizens that all the state's institutions are working at full capacity and won't allow this kind of provocation," it added.

Like many former Soviet territories, the country is the backdrop for a tug-of-war between pro-Russian and pro-Western political currents, with President Maia Sandu's government firmly in the latter category.

The country of 2.6 million people wedged between Ukraine and Romania applied to join the European Union just after Russia invaded Ukraine in February.

Russia maintains troops in Moldova's breakaway region of Transnistria.

"Our institutions are working to ensure the country's security and are using all the informational help of partners to anticipate and prevent any attempts to undermine our state," said a press release from Sandu's office.

Last December, Moldova’s spy chief Alexandru Musteata warned of a “very high” risk of a new Russian offensive towards his country’s east next year and said Moscow still aimed to secure a land corridor through Ukraine to Transnistria.

Moldova fears new Russian push towards breakaway east next year

Moldova's spy chief warned of a "very high" risk of a new Russian offensive towards his country's east next year and said Moscow still aimed to secure a land corridor through Ukraine to the breakaway Moldovan region of Transnistria.