Moldova moves to expel Russian diplomat over espionage claims

Moldova declared an employee of the Russian embassy in Chisinau as persona non grata on Thursday, marking the second espionage case in the country in recent weeks.

The decision follows the detention of two officials on Wednesday, who are suspected of treason and conspiring against the country, News.Az reports citing foreign media.

While the officials were not named, media reports suggest that one is the head of the legal department in parliament, and the other worked for the country's border police.

According to the Prosecutor's Office for Combating Organized Crime and Special Cases, the two officials had been "communicating" with an embassy employee in Chisinau since 2023. Although the embassy's country was not identified, prosecutors stated that one of the Moldovan officials allegedly provided the embassy employee with "information to be used against the interests of the Republic of Moldova."

On Thursday morning, Russian ambassador Oleg Vasnetsov was summoned to the Moldovan foreign ministry over the decision to expel the Russian diplomat "as a result of specific activities incompatible with diplomatic status," according to a ministry statement.

News.Az