Sandu was denied an outright majority in the first round of the presidential election two weeks ago, and a simultaneous referendum on enshrining EU membership into the constitution was passed by a razor-thin margin.
Authorities have accused the Kremlin of meddling in the votes, paying millions of dollars to ordinary people and orchestrating a campaign of propaganda and disinformation designed to undermine the country’s EU candidacy. Ultimately, those voting from abroad, including in Europe and the U.S., swung the referendum in favor of the pro-EU side.
However, in a statement issued while polling stations were still open on Sunday, Sandu’s national security adviser, Stanislav Secrieru, said “massive interference” had been detected at overseas polling stations, with charter flights laid on to take Moldovans living in Russia to cast ballots in nearby countries like Belarus, Turkey and Azerbaijan.
“Ongoing coordinated cyberattacks are targeting the connectivity of our national voter record systems, disrupting links between polling stations domestically and abroad,” he said.
Secrieru also reported bomb threats had been phoned into polling stations in Germany and the United Kingdom, while those casting ballots at the embassy in Moscow had been offered a free meal at a nearby restaurant.
However, according to Moldovan Foreign Minister Mihai Popșoi, an all-time turnout record for diasporans had been hit early on Sunday evening, with more than a quarter of a million people going to vote “despite fake bomb alerts at several polling stations in Europe (likely perpetrated by (pro)Russian elements).”