Moldova warns EU countries of Russia's plans to disrupt diaspora vote – Reuters

Moldova has informed several EU nations that Russia will try to disrupt voting by Moldovan emigrants at polling stations abroad during the presidential election on Sunday.

Source: Reuters, citing a source in the Moldovan government, as reported by European Pravda

Details: The source, who spoke anonymously, reported that Russia could target polling stations in Italy, France, Germany, Spain, Canada, Romania, the United States and the United Kingdom in attempts to disrupt the vote, including through bomb hoaxes.

"The goal is to interrupt the voting process during the (bomb threat) evacuation and check by the police. We kindly ask [you] to apply procedures and protocols that do not interrupt the voting process," Moldova told several EU countries.

Moldovan voters residing in Western countries are largely seen as pro-European, and they are more likely to support Sandu, who has been advocating Moldova's path toward EU membership.

The diaspora vote proved crucial to Sandu's victory in the 20 October referendum, which confirmed the country's aspirations for EU membership. The referendum was held simultaneously with the first round of elections.

The source added that Moscow was transporting Moldovan citizens by plane and bus to Azerbaijan, Belarus, Türkiye, and Moldova in an effort to bolster the chances of Sandu's opponent, Alexandru Stoianoglo.

Background: Moldovan citizens are casting their votes in the decisive second round of the presidential election on Sunday, 3 November.

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