Police in Moldova have said they foiled a plot by groups of Russia-backed actors who were trained to cause mass unrest during a protest against the country’s new pro-western government.
The head of Moldova’s police, Viorel Cernauteanu, said in a news conference that an undercover agent had infiltrated groups of “diversionists,” some Russian citizens, who allegedly were promised $10,000 to organise “mass disorder” during the protest in the capital, Chisinau, on Sunday. Seven people were detained, he said.
The protest was one of several held in recent weeks, organised by a group calling itself Movement for the People, which is backed by Moldova’s Russia-friendly Shor Party, which holds six seats in the country’s 101-seat legislature. Thousands of people gathered in Chișinău on Sunday, with demonstrators criticising the pro-European government for a steep rise in the cost of living.
As Russia reduced gas supplies to Moldova over the past year, bills have risen up to six times in the country of 2.6 million. The energy crisis and the war in neighbouring Ukraine have also contributed to inflation hitting 30%.
With western economic help, the government has subsidised energy bills but many are still struggling.
“What can we live off?” said 70-year-old demonstrator Tamara.
Another protester, Ivan Vasile, 85 years old, said his pension was the equivalent of £100 a month. “Can I afford to buy myself cheese? I cannot,” Vasile said. “I only eat a little more than bread. Before, electricity and gas were cheaper. Democracy is for the rich.”
Months of rallies, organised by the party of the fugitive pro-Russian oligarch Ilan Shor, have been condemned by the government as a Kremlin-sponsored campaign to destabilise the country. The oligarch is believed to have fled to Israel after being convicted of involvement in the theft of $1bn (£830m) from Moldova’s banks.
At Sunday’s protests, Shor party leaders shouted “Down with Maia Sandu”, Moldova’s pro-European president, “Down with dictatorship” and “Down with the police” on the microphones, as they encouraged demonstrators to break police cordons.
Police said they arrested 54 protesters, including 21 minors, who exhibited “questionable behavior” or were found to be carrying prohibited items, including at least one knife.
Police also said four bomb threats on Sunday, including one at the capital’s international airport, had been registered, which they called “an ongoing part of the destabilization measures” against Moldova.
As a neighbour of Ukraine, Moldova is in a precarious geopolitical position. About 1,500 Russian troops are already stationed in the unrecognised Moscow-backed breakaway state of Transnistria.
Not everyone in the crowd was supportive of Russia. “I am here to watch how people are being manipulated,” said Ion Grosu, a pensioner. “They want to go back to the Soviet past but all empires die.”
A few steps away from the anti-government protest, a dozen counter-protesters shouted, “Shor, go to prison” on a megaphone.
“Many people do not understand that thieves want to come to power,” said Alexandru Melnic, an 82-year-old counter-protester. “For the first time in 32 years [since Moldova became independent], we are taking the first steps in the right direction,” he said about country’s ambitions for EU integration. Moldova gained EU candidate status in June last year, alongside Ukraine.
Sandu said last month that Russia planned to provide foreign citizens with military training, who would then act as protesters in order to break into state institutions and take hostages. On Friday, the US National Security Council’s coordinator for strategic communication, John Kirby, warned of further Russian efforts to destabilise Moldova.
Before Sunday’s protest, the head of the Moldovan police, Viorel Cernăuțeanu, said at a press conference that the FSB, Russia’s secret services, planned to use 10 groups of five to 10 Russian and Moldovan men with criminal records or sports training to break police cordons and spark violence. But a Moldovan undercover agent helped reveal the plans, Cernăuțeanu added. Dozens were detained, including seven leaders of the operation.
An alleged member of the Russian paramilitary Wagner group was refused entry into Moldova, according to the border police. He is one of 182 foreign citizens denied access to the country over the past week. Last month, two foreign citizens were expelled for spying, according to Moldova’s intelligence services.
“I would draw attention to the potential connection between the groups uncovered by the police and the Wagner group,” said analyst Valeriu Pașa from the Moldovan thinktank WatchDog. “Russia’s aim is to provoke chaos and discontent. In this way, it would be easier to overthrow Moldova’s current government. Shor’s intention is to keep the authorities busy so that the reform of the judiciary does not succeed and he does not get a final sentence.”
Associated Press contributed to this report
