Zakharova commented on the investigation about the Russian embassy in Moldova

The representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, Maria Zakharova, commented on the investigation published the day before by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty about employees of the Russian embassy in Moldova.

According to leaked databases that Radio Liberty has seen, at least two of these diplomats have ties to the Federal Security Service and another two to Russian military intelligence, which is allegedly involved in poisonings and sabotage across Europe. Among these people are the two first secretaries of the Russian embassy, ​​according to the investigation, which can be read at the link:

Zakharova stated that similar, as she put it, “spy investigations” “are disinformation, they represent a set of unnamed accused, they are distinguished by a change of meaning and a conscious falsification of facts.” Zakharova did not specify which facts in the investigation, in her opinion, were deliberately falsified and which concepts were changed.

The representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia believes that the purpose of the publication was to “prepare the ground for new unfriendly actions towards the Russian Federation.” Zakharova expressed hope that “official Chisinau will have the wisdom not to make rash decisions” on the basis of the investigation, which she called fake.

At the same time, Zakharova herself mentioned that in July and August 2023, Moldova expelled 45 Russian diplomats and embassy employees, referring to concerns about Moscow’s attempts to “destabilize” the situation in the country. This was preceded by an investigation in which it was said that there are antennas on the roof of the Russian embassy in Chisinau that allow listening to telephone conversations. Zakharova called these antennas television.

• The Russian Embassy in Chisinau did not respond to a request for comment on the results of the Radio Liberty investigation at the time of publication of the new investigation.
• The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Moldova stated in a message to Radio Liberty that the government has taken “several decisive steps necessary to counteract the destabilizing actions of the Russian Federation directed against our country”, among them the reduction of Moscow’s diplomatic presence in response to “unfriendly actions, including in in the context of suspicions regarding possible espionage activities”. The ministry added that in accordance with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, “the selection of diplomatic personnel of the Embassy of the Russian Federation is the responsibility of the Russian authorities.”