Moldova raids target alleged Russian financing of party ahead of parliamentary election

Moldova's National Anticorruption Center said it conducted more than 30 raids on Tuesday and detained one person in connection with an alleged Russian financing of a political party through cryptocurrency channels, in a case prosecutors described as money laundering and electoral corruption. The operation occurred days before Moldova residents vote for a new 101-seat parliament, a election seen as a test of the country’s westward trajectory toward European Union membership vs. closer ties to Russia. One person was detained for 72 hours as investigators pursued the case, authorities said.

Investigators said the operation targeted members and supporters of the party who were suspected of implementing what they described as a “criminal plan” ahead of Sunday’s vote. The authorities said evidence indicated that illegal funds “would have come from the Russian Federation, from members of a criminal group,” and were funneled through cryptocurrency accounts, layered and liquefied through illicit crypto exchange services, then converted into cash and distributed by couriers to final recipients. In a subsequent phase, authorities said, the cash was delivered in multiple currencies, with the seizure tally including 800,000 lei ($50,000) in cash and the seizure of accounting documents and electronic storage devices. They also identified cash deliveries totaling approximately 9,000,000 lei ($540,000) made through cryptocurrencies.

The Tuesday raids followed a broader crackdown in the days leading up to the election. Moldova’s authorities have said that 74 people were detained Monday during about 250 raids as part of an investigation into an alleged Russia-backed plan to incite mass riots and destabilize the country around the vote. The suspects, aged between 19 and 45, had allegedly traveled to Serbia where they received training, according to officials. Moldova’s pro-Western President Maia Sandu underscored the stakes, saying the Kremlin is spending hundreds of millions of euros to influence the election and warning that Moldova’s sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity, and European future are at risk.

Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service issued a response of its own Tuesday, saying that European politicians were attempting to ensure Moldova stays aligned with “Russophobic” policies and accusing them of seeking to falsify votes in the upcoming elections. The ministry also argued that those efforts would come “at any cost.” The exchange of accusations comes as Moldova, after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, pursued closer ties with the European Union. Moldova applied for EU membership and was granted candidate status in 2022, and Brussels opened accession negotiations last year. Authorities in Moldova have long alleged that Russia conducts a hybrid campaign—election meddling, disinformation, and illicit funding for pro-Russian parties—to derail the country’s EU path. The ongoing investigations illustrate the tense environment as Moldova navigates competing influences while preparing for a high-stakes vote that could shape its political orientation for years to come.