In Moldova, police uncovered a possible election fraud scheme
On September 24, law enforcement officers discovered over 200 ballots at a Chisinau printing house with the stamp “Votat” (voted) already marked next to one of the pro-russian parties. According to the investigation, these ballots could have been used in a “carousel” scheme — where a voter submits a pre-filled ballot while taking a blank one out for repeated voting. The police reported the discovery to the Central Election Commission of Moldova.
▫️Parliamentary elections in Moldova are scheduled for September 28. At the same time, Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service monitors the activity of so-called international observers with questionable reputations — from individuals who legitimized pseudo-referendums in Crimea and Donbas to African organizations cooperating with russia. Experts believe that denial of accreditation due to the inclusion of fake observers in the EPDE list will provide them with a convenient excuse to spread claims of the elections’ “undemocratic nature.”
The Center previously reported that russia’s foreign intelligence service spreads disinformation about “Europe’s plans to occupy Moldova” and fabricates claims about “NATO troop concentration” in Romania and near the Ukrainian border or the “EU’s fear of falsifications.” In reality, there is no evidence — this is part of a multi-level strategy by the kremlin to interfere in Moldovan elections through bribery, fakes, and staged protests.
These actions fit into a broader kremlin scenario — to undermine trust in pro-western forces, derail the euro-integration course, and turn Moldova into a tool to pressure Ukraine and the EU.
