In late 2025, Vladimir Putin set a goal for 2026 to cause 'the collapse of NATO and the EU from within,' prioritizing subjugating Ukraine and taking control of Moldova. Moldova is targeted as an ideal staging ground for further Russian aggression against Ukraine and the West, with plans to seize territory in southern Ukraine to create a land corridor to Moldova. Russia attempted interference in Moldova’s September 28, 2025 parliamentary elections via cyberattacks, disinformation, vote-buying, and canvassing. Moldovan priests were paid by the Kremlin to persuade opposition to EU integration. Training camps in Serbia, Bosnia, and near Moscow instructed Moldovan citizens in violent disruption tactics, including use of incendiary materials, IEDs, and drones for explosives or arson. Moldovan security services, supported by Western allies, actively countered these threats by detaining training participants and defending against cyberattacks. Moldova’s presidential advisor highlighted Russia’s allocation of unprecedented resources to use Moldova as a springboard for hostile activity against Ukraine and the EU.

In late 2025, Vladimir Putin set a goal for 2026 to cause 'the collapse of NATO and the EU from within,' prioritizing subjugating Ukraine and taking control of Moldova. Moldova is targeted as an ideal staging ground for further Russian aggression against Ukraine and the West, with plans to seize territory in southern Ukraine to create a land corridor to Moldova. Russia attempted interference in Moldova’s September 28, 2025 parliamentary elections via cyberattacks, disinformation, vote-buying, and canvassing. Moldovan priests were paid by the Kremlin to persuade opposition to EU integration. Training camps in Serbia, Bosnia, and near Moscow instructed Moldovan citizens in violent disruption tactics, including use of incendiary materials, IEDs, and drones for explosives or arson. Moldovan security services, supported by Western allies, actively countered these threats by detaining training participants and defending against cyberattacks. Moldova’s presidential advisor highlighted Russia’s allocation of unprecedented resources to use Moldova as a springboard for hostile activity against Ukraine and the EU.