The President of Moldova stripped the pro-Russian politician of citizenship.

The President of Moldova, Maia Sandu, decided to strip the leader of the pro-Russian Party of Regions and the Congress of Moldovan Diasporas in Russia, Alexander Kalinin, of citizenship. The corresponding decree was issued on the grounds that Kalinin violated the subsection of the citizenship law prohibiting citizens from enlisting in the armed forces of a foreign country.

Kalinin became the head of the Moldovan Party of Regions in 2016. In 2020, he began collecting signatures for his candidacy in the presidential elections but later withdrew. It is known that Kalinin openly supports Russia's invasion of Ukraine and actively organizes campaigns in support of Russian soldiers. He also collects shoes and warm clothes for the occupied Luhansk region.

The European Union and Canada earlier included Kalinin in their sanctions lists due to his attempts to destabilize the situation in Moldova. Recently, the Moldovan authorities also stated the threat that Russia poses to their national security. Chisinau also plans to review the format of the Russian peacekeeping mission in Transnistria and evacuate illegal Russian military personnel from the territory of Moldova.

At the moment, the party "Chance," affiliated with the pro-Russian politician Ilan Shor, has been excluded from the local elections scheduled for November 5.