Russia targets Armenia and Moldova's civil society as it claims it 'deteriorates' relations

Russia has accused civil society organisations in Armenia and Moldova of undermining bilateral relations, in a move that comes amid growing geopolitical friction and heightened attention ahead of Armenia’s upcoming parliamentary elections, AzerNEWS reports.

Alexei Shevtsov, Deputy Secretary of the Russian Security Council, claimed that “most” civil society organisations registered in the two countries are “working to undermine bilateral relations [with Russia] and to discredit integration processes.”

His remarks follow a separate development in which Russia imposed a ban on the sale of a batch of Jermuk mineral water, further reflecting tensions in Moscow’s relations with Yerevan.

The statements come against the backdrop of renewed Western efforts to counter alleged Russian influence operations ahead of Armenia’s parliamentary elections scheduled for June 7.

Earlier in April, a bipartisan group of US senators sent a letter to major technology companies, including Meta and Alphabet Inc., urging them to take stronger measures to “counter Russian disinformation” in the run-up to the vote.