Russian election triggers row with Moldova over voting in separatist region

Russia's parliamentary election has triggered a diplomatic ​row with Moldova over its objections ​to the Kremlin's plan to ‌open ​15 polling stations for Russian nationals in the separatist Transdniestria Region. Moscow says 220,000 residents of pro-Russian Transdniestria, a sliver of ‌land which broke away from Moldova in 1990 at the end of Soviet rule, hold Russian passports and are entitled to vote on Sunday in the election for the ‌State Duma.

Moldova's pro-Western government, which wants to join the European Union by 2030 ‌and denounces the Kremlin's war in Ukraine, says Russians may vote only in a single polling station in the Russian embassy in the capital Chisinau. It contests the 220,000 figure and opposes any polling station ⁠in Transdniestria, ​where it has ⁠no control over procedures.

Moldovan authorities this week denounced the Kremlin's 15 planned polling stations as "unacceptable and hostile" and summoned ⁠Russian ambassador Oleg Ozerov to the Foreign Ministry. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova retorted by ​urging Moldova to drop its objections and halt actions that "run against democracy, international ⁠law and common sense".

Moldovan Foreign Minister Mihail Popsoi told Moscow "not to interfere with Moldova's plans for peaceful reintegration" ⁠of the ​breakaway territory. In Russia's last parliamentary election in 2021, authorities in Moscow opened 27 polling stations in the region and more than 59,000 voters cast ballots - with ⁠76.2% backing the United Russia party which supports Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Transdniestria is not internationally ⁠recognised, not even by ⁠Moscow, though a Russian military contingent of some 1,500 troops, which Russia sometimes describes as peacekeepers, remains stationed there despite demands from ‌Moldova for ‌them to leave.