The chief of the national police in the country said that on October 24, Moscow had funneled $39 million into a scheme run by a pro Russian oligarch to influence election results by paying ordinary people to vote against closer relations with the West.
Ilan Shor is a Moldovan/Israeli tycoon accused of laundering money and orchestrating a network, despite the fact that his political party was banned.
The first round of the presidential election in Moldova was held on October 20. The incumbent pro-European Moldovan president Maia Sandu won the election with 42% of votes, and will now face a runoff on November 3.
A razor-thin majority of voters voted to include the path the country will take to join the European Union in the Moldovan Constitution. This was a blow for supporters who wanted closer ties with Russia.
Moldovan authorities reported that in September, over $15 million in Russian funding was funneled through Telegram to over 130,000 Moldovans. Voters were instructed on how they should vote and disinformation about the EU was spread. Moldova media reported that authorities claimed to have “poured” another $24 million into the Moldovan economy in October.
Viorel Cerateanu, Moldova’s police chief, told POLITICO at the time that “Moldova faces a phenomenon of voter corruption, combined with hybrid war and disinformation. This is something our country has not seen before.”
The Foreign Ministry of Moldova said that police raids were ongoing against those involved in law enforcement operations. Authorities reported that they arrested individuals on October 23 after they found envelopes containing cash meant to allegedly bribe 19 districts.
Sandu will be facing off against her main opponent, Alexandr Stoianoglo. Stoianoglo is supported by the pro Russian Party of Socialists, and received roughly 26% of votes in the first round.
Chisinau supported Ukraine during the full-scale conflict and repressed Russian subversive activities at home. In July 2023, after espionage revelations, dozens of diplomats were expelled from their posts and embassy staff.
The invasion of Russia by the Russians sparked fears of a possible spillover into Transnistria, a region in Moldova occupied by Russia.
Olaf Scholz, German Chancellor, said that a country in war cannot be a NATO member. He made this statement to German public broadcaster ZDF.
In August, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin visited Tashkent to discuss with Uzbek officials the possibility of joining the EAEU. Russian President Vladimir Putin called it the “new center of a multipolar universe.”
Pellegrini said, “We agreed with the German Chancellor that the issue of Ukraine’s accession today is not on the agenda and cannot be brought to the agenda.”
Ruslan Muzychuk said on national television that Russian troops were attempting to establish crossings at the Oskil River in order to advance towards the city of Kupiansk, Kharkiv Oblast.
Ukraine’s military intelligence reported on October 24 that the first North Korean soldiers who will be fighting alongside Russian forces against Ukraine are now in Kursk Oblast.
Officials from the administration of U.S. president Joe Biden raised the possibility that these sanctions could be imposed during a G7 meeting of deputy finance ministers on October 22 in Washington D.C.
The bill to end daylight saving time was passed by the Ukrainian Parliament on July 16. The Ukrainians will set their clocks one hour back for the last time in October 2024. They will not return to summer time in the spring of 2025.
The French media La Lettre reported that Auchan, one the few French chains operating in Russia still, is in final talks to sell its Russian subsidiary.
South Korean law prohibits exporting weapons to active conflict areas, but Seoul has hinted repeatedly that this could be changed in light of the deepening military co-operation between Russia and North Korea.
An RSF source told Reuters that the aircraft was an Il-74 transport jet used to deliver weapons, ammunition, and supplies to the city Al Fashir, Sudan, where the Sudanese Army is trying to repel RSF attacks.
Eight women and three males were injured. Oleh Simiehubov, the governor of the region, said that a 73-year old woman died from severe injuries.
The General Staff announced on October 24 that Ukrainian military, lawmakers and experts discussed creating a separate branch within Ukraine’s Armed Forces to be dedicated to cyberspace activities.
Lin Jian, a spokesperson for the Beijing Foreign Ministry, made the statement in spite of the fact that the U.S.A., Seoul and Kyiv have all confirmed their presence over the past few days.
Michael R. Turner is a long-serving Republican Party member and his comments are by far the strongest from any U.S. politician.
The Air Force reported that Ukrainian forces shot down 40 of 50 Shahed drones and unidentified drones launched overnight by Russia. The Air Force reported that seven more drones had been “lost” and two others were flying toward Russia and Belarus.
During the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, there have been numerous reports of Russian soldiers executing Ukrainian POWs. However, they have increased dramatically in the last year.
Alexander Lukashenko, the Belarusian dictator, said in an interview to BBC that he knew Putin’s character and that he would never try to convince another country to send its army to… Ukraine.
Politico reported that anonymous officials said that Belgium, Slovenia, Spain, and other countries are hesitant to invite Ukraine to join NATO.
John Kirby, the spokesperson for the U.S. National Security Council, also revealed details about U.S. intelligence assessment. Washington believes that North Korea “moved a minimum of 3000 soldiers into Eastern Russia.”
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