On 28 September, about 4,000 websites stopped working in Moldova after the Information Technology and Cyber Security Service (STISC) blocked the host.md platform due to a large-scale cyberattack, Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean said.
The attacks targeted election-related infrastructure, he said.
“Yesterday and today, the infrastructure related to the electoral process was subjected to several attempts of cyberattacks. We are talking, in particular, about the CEC.md website, as well as a number of polling stations abroad. We detected and neutralised all the attacks in real time, without damaging the electoral process,” Recean said.
The official says the government had to approve new measures to protect the systems. In particular, due to the blocking of host.md, about 4,000 websites have temporarily stopped working.
“The attacks are happening simultaneously, their aim is to overload the STISC network, which serves the CEC and other electoral systems,” the prime minister emphasised.
Government Telegram channel Prima Sursă specified that the cyberattacks targeted the CEC.md website, state cloud services, automated systems and some foreign polling stations. Among the incidents were DDoS attacks, one of which was launched simultaneously from several countries and generated more than 16 million sessions that simulated normal traffic and bypassed the defence system. There were also attempts to inject malicious code into databases and infect polling stations with viruses
Moldova is holding parliamentary elections on 28 September. There are 23 candidates in the race: 15 parties, 4 electoral blocs and 4 independent candidates. Elections are recognised valid if at least 30% of voters cast their ballots. The threshold is 5 per cent for parties, 7 per cent for blocs and 2 per cent for independent candidates.
There are 1,973 polling stations open, of which 12 are for residents of the Transnistrian region.
The 28 September parliamentary elections are seen as a key moment for Moldova’s future as an EU candidate country. The ruling pro-European Action and Solidarity Party (PAS), led by President Maia Sandu, has held a parliamentary majority since 2021. However, polls show that PAS could lose that majority as opposition parties struggle to attract voters concerned about rising prices, poverty and a slowing economy. The need to form a coalition government could complicate PAS efforts to get Moldova into the EU by 2030, analysts say.
Moldovan President Maia Sandu appealed to voters on the eve of the election to support pro-European forces, emphasising that Russia is investing heavily to bring its proxies to power. Sandu said that Moscow is spending “hundreds of millions of dollars” trying to buy the votes of Moldovan citizens. she also noted that if the pro-Russian forces win, Moldova will be cut off from Europe and could become a springboard for Russian operations in the Odessa region.
Russia says it does not interfere in the internal politics of other countries.