Moldovan Sovereignty: Russian Incursions
Monday, 12 October 2026
Contributions
Question
Asked by
Baroness Rawlings
To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of Russian incursions on Moldovan sovereignty.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (Lord Wood of Anfield) (Lab)
My Lords, we are deeply concerned by the significant increase in the number of Russian drones entering Moldovan airspace in recent weeks. Foreign Office officials are in close contact with Moldova on this matter. The United Kingdom reaffirms its strong support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Moldova. Russia bears full responsibility for airspace violations in Moldova, which are dangerous, unacceptable and demonstrate Russia’s increasing attempts to provoke and destabilise Moldova by any means.
Baroness Rawlings (Con)
My Lords, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Wood, for his helpful Answer. We all know that freezing a conflict without a full peace deal does not work. Moldova is dealing with rising security threats with the Russian-Ukrainian war, with drones daily breaching Moldovan airspace. What are we doing to help this democratic European country further to survive?
Lord Wood of Anfield (Lab)
I thank the noble Baroness for that question and for her long-term passion for and commitment to this issue, not just in Moldova but in other countries in the region, which she is right to have. She is right that Moldova faces a multiheaded set of challenges, including Russian disinformation and drone attacks crossing Moldovan territory, which are not only more frequent but, I am afraid to say, increasingly likely to cause serious damage and casualties. I am pleased to say that, in 2024, the UK signed a defence and security partnership which affirmed our support for the people of Moldova and their chosen path against Russian disinformation attempting to undermine that in presidential and parliamentary elections. Through this partnership, we provide a range of support to counter threats, including in cyber, illicit finance, information manipulation and defence. Last year, we bilaterally provided more than £5 million in security and defence assistance. I met the Moldovan Foreign Minister, Minister Popșoi, in Toronto last week at a conference on Ukraine, where we discussed the support that we are giving. The Moldovans are extremely positive and grateful for all the help we provide.
Lord Dubs (Lab)
My Lords, I welcome what the Minister said about the Government’s attitude to supporting Moldova. Will he confirm that this is not recent pressure from the Russians and that, because of their stranglehold on a part of the country—Transnistria—the Russians have sought to block Moldova’s political progress for many years? Does he agree that we must adopt the highest possible profile in supporting Moldova? It is under real pressure and in a very vulnerable position. Anything that can be done to increase our public support, and that of our western allies, will be only for the better.
Lord Wood of Anfield (Lab)
My noble friend is as usual absolutely right. Transnistria has been a problem in Moldova for a number of years, as noble Lords will know. Russia has been trying to destabilise Moldova through Transnistria for a long time. We are supporting Moldova not only in the threat it faces from Russian disinformation, drones and other missile attacks but in its attempts to take a measured approach in peacefully reintegrating Transnistria into its body politic. This is crucial not just for Moldova’s internal security but its prospects of EU accession down the line.
Baroness Suttie (LD)
My Lords, it is welcome that at the UN General Assembly last month the Prime Minister confirmed that the UK has helped Moldova resist Russian interference. Since then, as the Minister has said, Russian drones have continued to fall on Moldova. Do the Government intend to extend to Moldova the same counter-drone capabilities developed with Ukraine? If so, can he give a timetable for their introduction?
Lord Wood of Anfield (Lab)
I thank the noble Baroness for that question. We provide a range of support, as I said earlier, including on countering drones. We continue to provide that and will respond to Moldova’s requests for further support. We have a partnership that allows for those more flexible requests. The priority in recent times has been disinformation, but support will come in the form that will match the challenges and threats that Moldova faces.
Lord Peach (CB)
My Lords, does the Minister agree that increasingly across Europe, across all borders, with NATO and partners we are seeing more and more bold and brazen attempts by Russia—often they are realities—to go beyond hybrid into what is often rightly called sabotage? Does the Minister agree that, in addition to everything he has said about partnership, we need to help Moldova with better intelligence on what Russia might do next?
Lord Wood of Anfield (Lab)
I thank the noble and gallant Lord for that question. He is absolutely right that the methods that Russia is using are varied and changing. It tries to target weaknesses in different ways. I know the question was about physical infrastructure and sabotage, but we know that Russia is spending something like $1.5 billion this year on disinformation and propaganda alone. Infrastructure attacks have been an issue in Moldova. The particular concern at the moment is drone flyovers that cause collateral damage, but we have to be prepared to assist where there are more targeted forms of infrastructure damage, as the noble and gallant Lord said.
Lord Callanan (Con)
My Lords, we on these Benches are united in our condemnation of Russian actions and our steadfast support for the territorial integrity of both Ukraine and Moldova. In our view, the Prime Minister was right to call President Zelensky this weekend to reassure him of the UK’s complete solidarity with Ukraine. Can the Minister confirm whether the Prime Minister has spoken to President Trump since the announcement of a US-Russian agreement on diesel exports?
Lord Wood of Anfield (Lab)
I thank the noble Lord. I do not know whether the Prime Minister has spoken to President Trump about diesel exports, but I know what I think of diesel exports. As the Defence Secretary said yesterday, that is not an approach that we would adopt. We think the right approach to Russia is to increase pressure through sanctions and collective action. In recent weeks, we have increased the list of sanctioned bodies; we think that continuing pressure is the right way to approach Russia’s illegal and brutal engagement in its war with Ukraine.
Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Lab)
My Lords, having done some work in Moldova in 2019 with the Westminster Foundation for Democracy, I know that the Moldovans’ biggest fear is Russian incursion. In view of that, can my noble friend outline the progress made on judiciary reform, anti-corruption measures and the development of public administration to ensure Moldova’s greater democratisation?
Lord Wood of Anfield (Lab)
I thank my noble friend for the question and for her previous work in this area. I apologise, but I have forgotten the second part of her question.
Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Lab)
It was about judiciary reform.
Lord Wood of Anfield (Lab)
I am so sorry; I knew it was on reform, but I did not know which part. My noble friend is absolutely right. Even though we are no longer a member of the European Union, we know that the security and prosperity of Moldova are fundamentally contingent on its ability to pursue positive accession negotiations. Part of that involves democratic reform, including judiciary reform and the reform of civil society more broadly. We are supportive of Moldova in that respect as much as in others.
Lord Whitehead (Lab)
My Lords, what steps will the UK Government take to support the Moldovans in securing entire energy independence from the Transnistria area and isolating Transnistrians through new infrastructure in energy supply?
Lord Wood of Anfield (Lab)
Moldova has made great steps in reducing—and in many respects eliminating—its dependence on Russia, outside of Transnistria. Militarily, Russian troops in Transnistria are in a sealed-off enclave, although Russian influence continues to be very important. My noble friend is absolutely right that ensuring that energy independence is extended across Moldova, including Transnistria, will be a crucial part of Moldovan security in the near future.
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon (Con)
My Lords, does the Minister agree that these issues do not just affect Moldova? Of course, I align myself with the comments he has made, but let us not forget the situation in Georgia—in South Ossetia and Abkhazia—where Russia has not just extended its influence but seeks to annex territory.
Lord Wood of Anfield (Lab)
The noble Lord is completely right. This is a playbook that is familiar to many countries in the region and elsewhere, including in the Baltics. The tactics that Russia uses are multiple and common across different countries. That is what makes not just bilateral co-operation between the UK and individual countries but the sharing of knowledge across regions and groups important. I am pleased to say that, increasingly, that is happening.
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Source: UK Parliament Hansard API. Debate ID: 5413504.