Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) said Wednesday that it arrested two Moldovan citizens on suspicion of spying and accused Moldova’s government of trying to undermine its national security.
The FSB said in a statement that the two men are suspected of working illegally for Moldova’s Security and Intelligence Service.
Chisinau did not immediately comment, though it has previously accused Russia of espionage.
According to the FSB, the men arrived in Russia using fake identification and attempted to carry out tasks “directed against the security of the Russian Federation,” though it did not provide further details.
State media later released a video that allegedly shows the two men giving confessions, with the FSB accusing Moldova of “intensifying activities aimed at undermining Russia’s security.”
If convicted, the men face up to eight years in prison.
Ties between the two countries have dramatically deteriorated in recent years. Moldova has repeatedly accused Russia of attempts to destabilize the country, including interference in its institutions and elections.
The Kremlin has denied the allegations, calling them anti-Russian “hysteria,” and accused Moldova of deliberately sabotaging bilateral relations.
Both countries have expelled dozens of each other’s diplomats in recent tit-for-tat moves.
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