Kremlin to Moldova: Nice Election, Shame if Something Happened to It
As Moldovans head to the polls on Sunday, Moscow is primed to unleash a cocktail of street protests, false flags, and reflexive control to topple President Sandu.
🇲🇩 Moldova in the Crosshairs: Kremlin Sets Stage for Post-Election Chaos
Russia is laying the groundwork to destabilize Moldova after Sunday’s parliamentary elections — with intelligence pointing to Kremlin-trained operatives preparing to ignite protests that could turn violent, the Institute for the Study of War reports. At stake: the future of pro-Western President Maia Sandu and her Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS), which risks losing its parliamentary majority as undecided voters and the diaspora weigh in.
Moscow’s playbook looks familiar — a manufactured, mirror-image of Ukraine’s 2014 Euro Maidan, but flipped to oust a pro-European leader. Moldovan prosecutors warn that young recruits have been trained in Serbia and at home to stage provocations, while Kremlin-linked oligarch Ilan Shor is accused of financing operations. Payments to protestors and coordination via encrypted Telegram channels point to a sophisticated operation.
Adding fuel, Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) is flooding Moldovan media with disinformation — spinning wild claims that NATO plans that “Brussels Eurobureaucrats” are ready to deploy troops and occupy Moldova. The SVR claimed that NATO forces are concentrating near the Moldovan border and that NATO is preparing a “landing” from Odesa Oblast, Ukraine, in order to intimidate Transnistria (the Russian-occupied parastate in eastern Moldova).
This narrative seeks to prime Moldovans for street action, regardless of who wins. Documents leaked to Bloomberg show Russian plans to recruit sports clubs and criminal networks to stoke unrest. Bloomberg reported that two European officials stated that it was “almost certain” that Russia intended to follow through with most of the plans outlined in the documents.
Meanwhile, Sandu’s opponents — Igor Dodon and Shor — amplify Moscow’s talking points about “fraud” and “dictatorship.”
Analysts say the Kremlin is refining its interference tactics — layering disinformation, false-flag scenarios in Transnistria, and reflexive control to pressure Moldovans into demanding Sandu’s removal. With NATO exercises already scheduled nearby, Moscow will almost certainly twist routine troop movements into “evidence” of a Western plot.
The warning is stark: Russia may fail, but its attempt to light the fuse in Moldova underscores a wider strategy — projecting influence beyond Ukraine and reasserting control over its Soviet-era backyard.
Serbian police arrested two persons suspected of organising training in Serbia for Moldovan and Romanian citizens in “providing more effective physical resistance to police officers in case of riots during election day in that country [Moldova], scheduled for September 28.” One of those arrested, L.P., is suspected of organising training in a hospitality establishment near the western Serbian town of Loznica, and another person, named S.S., allegedly helped him, the Ministry of Interior said on Friday. The training was reportedly organised from July 16 to September 12 for 150 to 170 Moldovan and Romanian citizens. Those arrested are suspected of the criminal act of organising participation in an armed conflict in a foreign country. During their search, police confiscated laptops, mobile phones and devices for the detection and monitoring of radio frequencies - Balkan Insight
Moldova’s electoral commission barred a pro-Russian party from participating in parliamentary elections on Friday, a vote beleaguered by widespread claims of Russian interference. The Heart of Moldova party is one of four parties in the Russia-friendly Patriotic Electoral Bloc (BEP), which is viewed as one of the main opponents of the ruling pro-Western Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS). The Central Electoral Commission’s decision was based on a ruling a day earlier by the Chișinău Court of Appeal, which restricted the party’s activities for 12 months. The justice ministry requested the restrictions following searches earlier this month on Heart of Moldova party members that led to allegations of voter bribery, illegal party financing and money laundering. The electoral commission said in a statement that all names proposed by Heart of Moldova will be removed from the bloc’s list of candidates and gave the bloc 24 hours to adjust its list to meet the representation thresholds required by electoral law. The PAS party has held a strong parliamentary majority since 2021, but risks losing it in the upcoming race, in which it faces several Russia-friendly opponents but no viable pro-European partners. The BEP says it wants “friendship with Russia,” permanent neutrality and a “state that serves the people, not officials.” - Euronews
Suspected drone activity forced Denmark’s Aalborg airport to close for a second time in just 24 hours right before midnight on Friday, the latest in a slew of similar incidents that prompted Danish authorities to alert NATO and the EU. The incursion forced the airport, which is used for both commercial and military flights, to shut down from 11 pm to 12 am after an object was sighted in the sky. It is the latest instance of drone activity Danish authorities deemed a well-organised hybrid attack, raising further concerns about security in northern Europe amid growing Russian airspace incursions. Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Danish Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said that a “professional actor” was behind the “systematic operation” that was difficult to fight against. “This is an arms race against time because technology is constantly evolving,” Lund Poulsen said, while remaining positive that the culprits will be brought to justice. - Euronews
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ranted about Hamas to an empty hall in the United Nations as scores of diplomats staged a mass walkout in protest of alleged genocide in Gaza. Nearly all representatives from Arab countries left the room as Netanyahu began speaking, followed by delegations from several African and European nations. Several delegates remained behind to heckle the Israeli leader as he spoke about “finishing the job” in the Palestinian territories. His office claimed the address was being broadcast live in Gaza after the Israeli military “took control” of every mobile device in the area. The few world powers in attendance, including the United States and the United Kingdom, did not send senior officials or even their official U.N. ambassadors to the address. Instead, they packed their delegations primarily with junior staffers and other low-level diplomats. Netanyahu’s speech comes just days after a U.N. committee ruled that Israel’s actions in Gaza constitute genocide against Palestinians. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas addressed the U.N. General Assembly via video link on Thursday, following the Trump administration’s denial of a visa to enter the United States - The Daily Beast
In a dick-tator move, PM Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the IDF stationed in the Gaza Strip to set up giant speakers, so that the residents there could hear every single word of his address to the UNGA on Friday. The move received criticism both internally and externally, with the understanding that the move had two essential purposes: (a) the controversial move would distract from the actual content of the speech and (b) it would reassure the Likud base and the extreme Ultra-Orthodox partners – (Israel’s far-right finance minister) Bezalel Smutrich and (far-right Israeli minister) Ben Gvir – that no one pushes him and his coalition around.
Soldiers in particular objected to the provocation, insisting that it endangered their lives and their mission.
This power move feels more urgent than ever to Netanyahu, given that Trump made a public statement in which he reassured reporters that he, the President of the United States, would never allow Netanyahu to annex any part of the West Bank, and that “this nonsense had to stop.”
Ten minutes before the live speech began on Friday afternoon (Israel time), tens of thousands of Gazan citizens received a text message from the Israeli Prime Minister as well, with a link to the a live viewing of the event at the United Nations. - Dr Leora Lider in Jerusalem
Beijing launched a sweeping investigation into Mexico’s tariffs on Chinese imports, highlighting the widening fallout of Washington’s trade wars. The investigation, which includes an anti-dumping probe, comes just days after Mexican authorities slapped duties on an array of Chinese imports from textiles to steel and automotive parts. Beijing said Mexico City’s decision would “seriously damage the trade and investment interests” of Chinese firms. Washington has pressured Mexico to crack down on Chinese imports over allegations that goods are being rerouted to the US, thus sidestepping American levies placed on Beijing. Sino-Mexican trade has boomed in recent years, and China last year became the third-biggest source of migrants to Mexico - Semafor
Pope Leo XIV blessed an autograph collector with his holy John Hancock ... signing a baseball that’s now expected to bring in thousands of dollars at auction. The head of the Catholic Church signed a ball for Randy L. Kaplan -- a signature hawk who has spent the last few decades collecting signatures of world leaders and other prominent figures on baseballs. Kaplan sent the Pope -- a noted Chicago White Sox fan who actually attended Game 1 of the 2005 World Series -- two White Sox caps ... and, in return, Leo signed the ball. The auction -- administered by RR Auction -- for the ball began Monday ... and, it’s already generated a ton of interest with a dozen bids on the collectible in just a few days. The total price currently sits at just over $3K ... though it could go much higher -- ‘cause a ball signed by Pope Francis sold for $18,750 shortly after he passed away earlier this year - TMZ
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