The Moldovan Foreign Ministry declared the three "persona non grata" and ordered them to leave, saying there was "clear evidence'' of actions that violated their diplomatic responsibilities.
The Moldovan Foreign Ministry has handed a note to Russian Ambassador Oleg Ozerov.
"The Foreign Ministry has sent the Russian diplomat a note declaring three employees of the Russian Embassy as persona non grata," the Moldovan foreign policy agency said in a statement. It insisted that the decision by the country’s authorities was based on "clear evidence of activities in the Republic of Moldova incompatible with diplomatic status."
Russia's Foreign Ministry pledged to take retaliatory measures, though it has not specified what those might be, as confirmed by the Russian Foreign Ministry in a statement to TASS.
In response, the Russian ambassador described the accusations from the Moldovan side as "untenable and unfounded." He called on Chisinau to "refrain from provocative speculation" and to return to a pragmatic dialogue on the full range of bilateral issues, which he said aligns with the fundamental interests of both the people of Moldova and Russia.
The expulsions came shortly after Moldova accused the Russian Embassy in Chisinau of helping a pro-Kremlin lawmaker evade a prison sentence. Russian officials have dismissed the accusations as baseless.
Alexandru Musteata, director of Moldova’s Security and Intelligence Service, stated at a briefing that the Russian Embassy had allegedly assisted Alexander Nesterovsky, a legislator from the Victory political bloc, in evading justice. He claimed that a day before Nesterovsky’s verdict was issued, the opposition activist was granted access to the embassy, and the following day, he was transported to Transnistria in a vehicle with diplomatic plates.
Nesterovschii was sentenced in absentia to 12 years in prison after being convicted of illegally funding a political party linked to Ilan Shor — a fugitive businessman and former lawmaker.
Shor, who fled Moldova after being linked to one of the country's biggest bank fraud scandals, has since aligned himself with pro-Kremlin causes.
According to regulatory filings, he is believed to have set up intermediary companies — some in partnership with sanctioned entities — to help Russian businesses evade Western financial restrictions. His political network has backed parties accused of undermining Moldova's pro-European trajectory.
Moldovan prosecutors say that Nesterovschii funneled money from Shor-linked sources to influence key political events — including the 2023 local elections, the 2024 presidential race, and a referendum on Moldova's bid to join the European Union.
The latest diplomatic tensions come as Moldova gears up for parliamentary elections this autumn, which will gauge the popularity of its pro-European leadership.
“The EU will stand with Moldova in every step of the way until the very membership,” - stated Kaja Kallas, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Vice-President of the European Commission at her joint press-conference with the President of Moldova, Maia Sandu.
Moldova's parliament voted on Thursday to set the date for parliamentary elections, which will take place on September 28.
A three-year project aiming to accelerate Moldova’s EU accession was officially launched in Chisinau on Tuesday. The project is a part of the European Union's assistance to candidate countries seeking EU membership.
Moldova is interested in importing natural gas from Azerbaijan to diversify its energy sources and enhance national energy security, the country’s energy minister said in Baku.
Diplomatic relations between Russia and Moldova have come under renewed focus following recent developments involving the two countries' embassies. The situation reflects ongoing complexities in bilateral engagement and the importance both sides place on diplomatic protocol and international norms.
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Iran has agreed to hold a fourth round of indirect nuclear talks with the United States on Sunday in Oman.
Ukraine's security service says it has detained two alleged Hungarian spies accused of gathering military intelligence in the Zakarpattia region, near the shared border.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that leaders of the "coalition of the willing" will meet in Kyiv on Saturday, as Europe weighs its long-term security role in Ukraine's future.
Ukraine has imposed sanctions on one Chinese firm and three Iranian companies, as outlined in a presidential decree issued Friday.
Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter said Switzerland and the U.S. have agreed to accelarate trade talks.
Iran has agreed to hold a fourth round of indirect nuclear talks with the United States on Sunday in Oman.
Ukraine's security service says it has detained two alleged Hungarian spies accused of gathering military intelligence in the Zakarpattia region, near the shared border.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that leaders of the "coalition of the willing" will meet in Kyiv on Saturday, as Europe weighs its long-term security role in Ukraine's future.
Ukraine has imposed sanctions on one Chinese firm and three Iranian companies, as outlined in a presidential decree issued Friday.
Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter said Switzerland and the U.S. have agreed to accelarate trade talks.
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