Moldovan president accuses Russia of planning a coup

Moldova's president, Maya Sandu, accused Russia of plotting violently to overthrow the pro-European leadership of the state with the help of the sabotagers, who, according to her, are represented as protesters against the government.

Moscow's supposed plan would include “military-related editors, camouflaged in civilian clothing, to commit violent acts, attacks on state institutions and hostage taking”, Sandu told reporters.

Hidden behind the “procedures of the so-called opposition”, sabotors would aim to break down the constitutional order and replace Chisinev's legitimate power with an illegal powers”, she said, refusing to answer journalists' questions.

These Sandus statements came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said last week during the European Union summit that Kiev has seen “Plan to destroy Moldova from Russian intelligence”.

Moldova, a country of 2.6 million people bordering Romania and Ukraine, has received EU candidate status in the summer of 2022, but over the past year has faced a series of anti-government protests organised by fugitive oligarch, Ilan Shor.

In addition to internal forces controlled by Shor, Moscow is also supposed to be planning to use citizens from Russia, Belarus, Serbia and Montenegro to implement its plans, Sandu said.

Therefore, according to her, Moldova's Parliament needs to pass “quickly to pass” laws that would give the State Intelligence and Security Service and prosecutors “measures needed to effectively combat national security threats”.

But the Kremlin's “efforts to bring violence to our country will fail”, Sandu said.

Over the past year, Moldova, a neighboring state of Ukraine, has faced a series of security concerns, as pieces of Russian missiles have fallen on Moldovan territory.

Moldova has also faced energy reductions, as Ukraine banned energy exports due to Russian air attacks on its critical infrastructure.