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Ambassador Vasnetsov to be summoned to MFAEI after investigation into Russia’s espionage in Moldova


https://www.ipn.md/index.php/en/ambassador-vasnetsov-to-be-summoned-to-mfaei-after-investigation-into-7965_1098438.html

The Russian Federation’s Ambassador in Chisinau will be summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration (MFAEI) for providing explanations over Russia’s espionage activities in the Republic of Moldova. “Depending on the subsequent developments, the authorities of the Republic of Moldova will analyze a number of reaction options,” the Ministry said in reaction to the relevant journalistic investigation, IPN reports.

“The MFAEI, in close coordination with other responsible institutions, analyzes the nature and scale of these espionage activities, including the activity of the persons mentioned in the investigation, so as to appropriately and promptly respond to the situation” said the Ministry. The institution considers any espionage activity and foreign interference in the internal affairs of the Republic of Moldova are absolutely unacceptable and describes them as direct defiance of the sovereignty and national security of Moldova.

A journalistic investigation conducted by Jurnal TV and The Insider shows that the number of antennas and broadcast devices on the rood of Russia’s Embassy in Chisinau rises annually, as does the number of mysterious persons who appear there on a constant basis. The movement on the roof takes place especially before the presidential or parliamentary elections or before visits paid by foreign delegations to the Republic of Moldova. It happened so ahead of the European Political Community Summit that was held on June 1 and in May, after a hacker attack on government networks, when thousands of secret documents became accessible to intruders. The journalists identified the men from the Embassy’s roof, who turned out to be classified liaison officers of the GRU and SVR, who have close relations with the groups of hackers who hacked emails of Angela Merkel, Emmanuel Macron and Hillary Clinton. The equipment can collect sensitive information about the country’s security, warn experts.