The three Russian diplomats declared persona non grata by Moldova have left the country after authorities revealed that Russian special services helped convicted lawmaker Alexandr Nesterovschi escape to the Transnistrian region, IPN reports.
 

A video capturing the diplomats' departure shows several supporters gathered at Chisinau International Airport to bid them farewell. The diplomats stepped out of the minibus that brought them to the terminal as their supporters sang Katyusha.

Iurii Vitneanski, a leading figure in the "Victory" Bloc associated with fugitive politician Ilan Șor, sent a message of support, expressing regret over their expulsion and lamenting that they were forced to leave hastily rather than at the end of their mandate.

The expelled diplomats are Alexandr Andreev, Andrei Voshchinkin, and Alexei Kurochkin.

Alexandr Andreev, Russia’s co-chair of the Joint Control Commission, was accredited in Moldova in February 2022, just days before Russia invaded Ukraine. He has ties to Russian military structures, despite officially claiming to be a graduate of the Diplomatic Academy of the Russian Foreign Ministry.

Andrei Voshchinkin was sent to Chisinau in November 2023, shortly after Moldovan authorities reduced the number of Russian diplomatic personnel. According to sources, he was responsible for key technical operations at the embassy.

The third expelled diplomat, Alexei Kurochkin, was involved in public activities alongside former and current Socialist Party MPs, participating in ceremonies for the reburial of Soviet soldiers.

Moldova’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs ordered the expulsion of the three diplomats after the Intelligence and Security Service (SIS) reported that staff from the Russian diplomatic mission, under the coordination of Russian special services, facilitated Nesterovschi’s escape to Transnistria. Nesterovschi had been sentenced to 12 years in prison, but the operation allowed him to evade justice.