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The White House issued a public warning on Friday that Russian ‘actors’ who were tied to Russian intelligence are engaging an effort to ‘destabilize’ the country of Moldova through a ‘manufactured insurrection.’
National security spokesman Adm. John Kirby told reporters the U.S. agreed with the assessment of Moldovan President Maia Sandu, who has issued her own warnings about Moscow-backed efforts to destabilize her country. The former Soviet republic borders Ukraine and is located near the Black Sea port city of Odessa.
‘We share those concerns,’ Kirby told reporters Friday. He then shared information from from intelligence about the efforts, which come amid the small nations efforts to look westward and seek increased integration with Europe.
The warning came during a week when Russia launched a series of missile attacks on Ukraine, and came after the Moldovan government exposed a coup plot and expelled two alleged agents, after receiving some 400 bomb hoaxes since Russia invaded Ukraine.
Russian actors, some with current ties to Russian intelligence, are seeking to stage and use protests in Moldova as a basis to foment a manufactured insurrection against some Moldovan government,’ said Kirby, describing the U.S. intelligence.
‘Additionally, we expect another set of Russian actors to provide training and help manufactured demonstrations in Moldova,’ he said.