Moldova expelled three Russian diplomats on Monday, accusing the Russian embassy in Chisinau of facilitating the escape of a pro-Kremlin lawmaker to avoid his arrest on charges of illegal political financing, Euractiv reports. The move is the latest in a series of accusations from Moldova's pro-European government, which claims Moscow is interfering in its domestic affairs?allegations that Russia denies.

Moldovan President Maia Sandu criticized Russia's involvement, calling it an unacceptable intrusion into the country's judicial system. ?Imagine if Moldova interfered in Russia's justice system,? Sandu said in an interview with Radio Moldova. However, Russia's ambassador to Moldova, Oleg Ozerov, dismissed the allegations as baseless, and the Russian Foreign Ministry warned that Moscow would retaliate with reciprocal measures.

Moldova's Security and Intelligence Service (SIS) released surveillance footage showing Alexander Nesterovsky entering the Russian embassy in the Moldovan capital on March 18. The following day, a court sentenced him in absentia to 12 years in prison for illegally channeling funds to a pro-Russian party linked to fugitive businessman Ilan Shor. These funds were allegedly used to influence the 2023 local elections, the upcoming 2024 presidential race, and a national referendum on Moldova's bid to join the European Union. Nesterovsky has denied the charges, calling them politically motivated.

According to SIS, Nesterovsky was later driven in a white car bearing diplomatic plates to the Russian-backed breakaway region of Transnistria. SIS director Alexandru Musteata characterized the incident as part of a broader strategy of hybrid aggression against Moldova.

The Moldovan government, which has set a goal of joining the EU by 2030, has repeatedly accused Russia of trying to destabilize the former Soviet republic. The upcoming parliamentary elections in the fall are expected to serve as a key test for the ruling party's pro-European policies.

Separately, Moldovan authorities last week detained , the pro-Russian leader of Moldova's Gagauzia region, on similar charges of illegal political financing. She was taken into custody while attempting to leave the country and has since been ordered to remain in detention for at least 30 days. Gutsul, who also claims the charges are politically motivated, has sought international support, recently appealing to U.S. President Donald Trump for moral and political backing after making similar pleas to Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

On the same day Moldova expelled the Russian diplomats, another lawmaker, Irina Lozovan, was sentenced to six years in prison on similar charges. Authorities say Lozovan is currently on the run, further intensifying political tensions in the country.