Moldovan police conducted massive raids Monday across the country targeting people suspected of preparing Russia-backed disorder.
The operation took place six days before crucial parliamentary elections, in which Moldovan President Maia Sandu from the EU-allied PAS party fears Russian meddling as Moscow attempts to steer the country off its pro-European path.
Moldovan authorities conducted more than 250 searches zeroing in on more than 100 suspects, according to a report by the Moldovan Press Agency Moldpres.
The Kremlin has previously denied trying to destabilize Moldova and interfere in its elections, but Moscow was widely accused of meddling in multiple votes last fall in the former Soviet republic.
Moldova reelected pro-EU politician Sandu in its presidential election last November, despite accusations of a Russian influence campaign to oust her.
In a separate ballot last October, Moldovans voted by the narrowest of margins in favor of joining the EU, after a referendum in which Moscow was accused of launching a massive campaign of vote buying as well as using social media to sow fears about the prospect of EU membership leading to a direct conflict with Russia.
Former Moldovan president and leader of the anti-EU Socialist party Igor Dodon was outraged by the police searches. “The criminal PAS regime is trying to intimidate us, scare the world, silence us,” he wrote on Facebook.
“Maia Sandu and PAS are now looking for reasons to cancel the elections, because they know they will get a bad result on September 28,” he added.
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