Chisinau does not have exact data on the number of citizens of the Republic of Moldova located in Russia. An estimate from some state institutions in the Russian Federation, a few years ago, indicated approximately 78,000 people. In the opinion of Foreign Minister Mihai Popșoi, the number of compatriots settled in this state should be evaluated based on their voting presence.
During a broadcast on Vocea Basarabiei, Popșoi pointed out that the decrease in the number of Moldovans in Russia is also caused by the war launched against Ukraine.
“We see that they are starting to be registered in the consular records in the member countries of the European Union and not only. But, at the same time, they still cannot be removed from the consular records in the Russian Federation, because a certain period of time must pass and, in the end, the data cannot be exact.”
But it is certain that our citizens from the Russian Federation do not want to expose themselves to this enormous risk, because we have seen countless attempts and even results in this regard, when the authorities of the Russian Federation recruit migrants, including citizens of other states, to whom they are ready to grant citizenship just to enlist them and send them to the front.
“And then our citizens understand these risks very well and, from an economic perspective, things have worsened, but from a security perspective – even more so. And then this number truly decreases dramatically,” said Popșoi.
According to the head of diplomacy in Chisinau, although the Kremlin talks about several hundred thousand or half a million Moldovans in Russia, only 4000 presented themselves at the last vote. The official believes that “this should, at least, raise certain questions,” added Popșoi.