Accusing the European Union, Russia’s Intelligence Service (SVR) claimed that the organisation is planning to “occupy” Moldova with NATO forces after Parliamentary polls.
According to the Moscow Times, the intelligence service alleged that European Union and NATO troops have gathered in Romania and the Ukrainian port city of Odessa.
Meanwhile, authorities in Moldova arrested 74 people in connection with a Moscow-backed plot to stage a mass uprising.
Elections in Moldova are scheduled for September 28, and the raids were conducted amid claims that Russia is backing a party in the polls, with President Vladimir Putin allegedly plotting to ‘hijack the elections.’
On September 20, Polish and allied military aircraft were scrambled early Saturday after Russia launched a large-scale aerial assault on Ukraine, including strikes near the western border with Poland, CNN reported.
The development came hours after NATO said it intercepted three Russian jets over Estonia’s airspace, with Europe on heightened alert following a string of Russian airspace violations across eastern countries.
“Due to the activity of the Russian Federation’s long-range aviation, which is carrying out strikes on the territory of Ukraine, Polish and allied aviation has begun operating in our airspace,” the Polish military said in a post on X. It added, “Duty fighter pairs have been scrambled, and ground-based air defence systems as well as radiolocation reconnaissance have reached a state of maximum readiness.”
According to CNN, Ukraine’s Air Force said Russia launched 579 attack drones and various types of dummy drones overnight into Saturday, along with eight ballistic missiles and 32 cruise missiles. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said, “All night, Ukraine was under a massive attack by Russia.” He added, “Every such strike is not a military necessity but a deliberate strategy by Russia to terrorise civilians and destroy our infrastructure. That is why a strong international response is needed.”
