In less than 48 hours, Moldova will stand before one of the most significant sets of elections in its history, a day which in all likelihood, will finally and definitely see the country truly break away from Russia: a referendum to inscribe EU accession into its very constitution, alongside a very crucial presidential election.
According to the polls, both the EU referendum as well as the pro-EU candidate Maia Sandu (current president), stand to win overwhelming victories, and just to add to the legitimacy, those victories will probably be won with a massive voter turnout (estimated to go as high as 75%), all while the pro-Russian candidates stand to register crushing defeats.
Knowing it essentially stands to "lose" Moldova for good, Russia has been burning through all the means at its disposable to prevent and if needed overturn the result of this election: from economic pressure and propaganda, to very direct military threats aimed at frightening the population into submission and outright flying-in Wagner mercenaries and training pro-Russian individuals willing to stage a coup.
Despite everything, this small nation of not even 3 million souls and limited economic means, with one separatist and one autonomous region both controlled by Moscow, a country that was totally dependent on Russian gas pre-2022 and one that has Russian troops on its very soil, survived it all and stands to serve Russia a defeat which will echo far beyond Moldova.