FSB Arrests Russian Citizen on Suspicion of Spying for Moldova Amid Heightened Tensions

Russian Citizen Detained in Moscow

Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) announced on Thursday the arrest of a Russian citizen in Moscow, alleging the individual was acting as an agent for Moldova's Information and Security Service (SIS). The FSB stated that the suspect arrived in the Russian capital in December 2025 to carry out an assignment 'aimed against Russia's national security'.

Allegations and Evidence Presented by FSB

According to the FSB, the alleged spy was tasked with collecting and sharing information concerning 'the work of opposition parties and activists, their funding and the personal data of FSB employees'. The security service also claimed that the individual 'regularly visited Russia, where he met with public officials and government personnel'. Investigators reportedly found correspondence on the suspect's seized communication devices with a Moldovan intelligence officer, identified by the FSB as Mihail Petrescu. The FSB further released an interrogation video in which the man claimed to have been 'forced' to work 'periodically' with Moldova's SIS. The arrested individual has been charged with secretly working with a foreign government, a crime that carries a maximum penalty of eight years in prison.

Moldova Rejects Accusations

In response to the arrest, Moldova's Information and Security Service (SIS) issued a strong denial, stating it 'rejects the accusations made by the authorities of the Russian Federation'. The Moldovan intelligence agency characterized the Russian statements as an 'attempt to manipulate public opinion and raise tensions in the region'. Furthermore, Moldovan President Maia Sandu publicly dismissed the allegations as 'false'. President Sandu noted that 'unfortunately there are several cases when our citizens are arrested and imprisoned without any real grounds for such actions from Moscow'.

Context of Deteriorating Russia-Moldova Relations

This incident unfolds against a backdrop of significantly strained relations between Russia and Moldova. Tensions have escalated, particularly since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which borders Moldova. Moldova's pro-European Union stance and its aspirations for EU membership have been met with disapproval from Moscow. Both nations have engaged in reciprocal expulsions of diplomats in recent years. Moldova recently initiated the process to withdraw from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), a Russia-led bloc of former Soviet republics. Chisinau officials have frequently interpreted such arrests as part of a broader 'hybrid warfare strategy' by Russia, aimed at destabilizing Moldova's pro-European government.