On July 26^th, Moldova announced that it would be expelling Russian staff located in Chisinau from the country. The relations between both countries have been tense, but the war in Ukraine and Russia’s attempts to maintain its sphere of influence over countries who once belonged to the former Soviet Republic have worsened matters, and this expulsion is likely to only aggravate tensions.

“The number of diplomatic posts of Russia in Chisinau has been reduced to 10 [and] the number of auxiliary posts has been reduced to 15,” says a statement from an official spokesperson of the Moldovan government, “so the entire diplomatic apparatus of Russia in Chisinau will operate with 25 people.”

The expulsions come as a result of “numerous unfriendly actions toward the Republic of Moldova, unrelated to diplomatic duties, as well as attempts to destabilize the internal situation in our country,” says Moldova’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. One piece of evidence cited is the increasing number of satellite dishes and communications devices on the embassy in Chisinau. These can be used for military purposes, radio engineer Iurii Sainsus says, though it has not been confirmed if Russia is in fact using them that way. According to Politico, there were 28 such devices on the Russian embassy as of July.

Russia has stated that it will respond accordingly. Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova said that Moldova’s decision will “not go unanswered” and will lead to further diplomatic deterioration.

The relationship between the countries has already been fraught, especially since the Ukraine war began. Moldova has been caught between Western and Russian interests for years. The country seeks to distance itself from the Russian sphere of influence and promote initiatives integrating it with the West, such as pro-democratic legislation and integration with the European Union. These initiatives have been increasingly putting the and Russia at odds. This situation is one which other former Soviet countries share to varying extents, including Georgia, which also has aspirations of E.U. integration and a society facing challenges on several fronts.

Heavy polarization is one of those challenges, along with lack of trust in the government’s institutions and the country’s challenging social and economic circumstances, says Felix Hett, an expert scholar on Ukraine and Moldova at Germany’s Friedrich Ebert Foundation.

Information warfare has also taken a prominent role. Misinformation and disinformation campaigns by Russian(-affiliated) entities aimed at Moldovan society have presented a challenge for the Moldovan government, which has already been struggling to maintain stability.

For Moldova to best prepare itself to face these ongoing challenges, it must invest in critical infrastructures, as well as promoting digital literacy. One proposal from Hett states that “the [nation’s] focus should be on restoring trust in state institutions.” This process is likely to take years, but if implemented with backing from the government, it will benefit Moldovan society. Acting with a sense of urgency to combat intensifying Russian misinformation and disinformation campaigns will demonstrate that Moldova is fully committed to instituting necessary changes for its people.