Moldovian President Maia Sandu has accused Russia of engineering an attempted coup in the small nation after the sudden resignation of former Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilita last week. After nominating Dorin Recean to replace Gavrilita, Sandu alleged that Russia plans to use “saboteurs with military background, camouflaged in civilian clothes, to undertake violent actions, attacks on state institutions and taking hostages.” Since Russia invaded Ukraine, Moldova has struggled with an influx of Ukrainian refugees and has had multiple power losses coinciding with Russia’s campaign against Ukrainian energy infrastructure. Moldova became an EU candidate last year.
