The 2024 Russian influence operation in Moldova was an attempt by Russian-trained groups to destabilize the 2024 Moldovan presidential election and European Union membership referendum. The influence operation ultimately failed, as the pro-Western Maia Sandu was re-elected with 55.35% of the vote.
In June 2024, the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada issued a joint statement on Russian influence within the Moldovan election; the US announced sanctions against the pro-Russian Governor of Gagauzia, Evghenia Gutul. In September 2024, pro-Russian groups vandalized the Supreme Court of Justice and the public broadcaster Teleradio-Moldova. In October 2024, the government discovered a plot by the exiled pro-Russian oligarch Ilan Shor to distribute $15 million in Russian money to 130,000 voters to bribe them into selecting anti-Western decisions and spreading disinformation against the EU. An influx of Russians carrying large amounts of cash resulted in the strengthening of security checks at Chisinau International Airport. Later in September, Moldova accused Russia of plotting to bus in voters to polling stations at the Moldovan embassy in Moscow, while Russia accused Moldova of printing only 10,000 ballots for 500,000 eligible Moldovans living in Russia. On 17 October, Moldovan authorities announced the discovery of a plot by 100 military-trained youths to foment civil unrest and create mass disorder during the presidential election and referendum. On 31 October, authorities raided a political party headquarters and accused 12 people of engaging in vote-buying. Voters were subjected to anonymous death threats over the phone ahead of the 1 November presidential election, and the election commission received reports of the illegal transportation of voters to Russia, Belarus, Azerbaijan, and Turkey. Moldovan citizens living abroad were subjected to false bomb threats at polling stations as far afield as Liverpool and Northampton in England and Hamburg, Frankfurt, Kaiserslautern, and Berlin in Germany. Ultimately, Maia Sandu defeated the Kremlin-backed PSRM candidate Alexandr Stoianoglo in the 3 November 2024 presidential runoff by a margin of 55.35% to 44.65%.