The Director of Moldova’s Intelligence and Security Service (SIS), Alexandru Musteata, confirmed that two young Moldovan intelligence officers were deployed to Russia on a classified mission that ended in failure and their subsequent capture, zdg.md reports.
Speaking on PRO TV Chisinau’s “În Profunzime” on April 30, Musteata stated that the officers were part of a secret external intelligence operation aimed at collecting information in the national security interest. He refused to disclose operational details, stressing that such missions are standard practice for intelligence services worldwide.
Musteata said the SIS has undergone reforms and expanded its intelligence-gathering capabilities, including operations abroad. He confirmed that the mission failed and the officers were detained in Russia. The SIS immediately launched an internal investigation, which is now 99% complete, with final conclusions pending officers’ testimonies after their return.
The SIS director added that the officers are currently undergoing medical evaluation and rehabilitation and will remain active members of the service. He noted that SIS personnel operate under different levels of classification, including roles known only to a very limited number of colleagues.
The investigation also examines whether operational compromise occurred internally, though Musteata said no conclusions have been drawn yet. The service will coordinate final decisions with prosecutors once all evidence is reviewed.
Security expert Andrei Curararu from WatchDog warned that the risks of such operations in Russia are significant, stating that Russian authorities often use detainees as leverage in political negotiations. He stressed that intelligence information has a limited operational lifespan and may lose relevance over time.
Curararu also commented on the broader political context, noting that decisions involving prisoner exchanges tend to be political rather than strictly legal. He linked the recent exchange to broader international negotiations involving multiple states.
The two SIS officers were eventually released as part of a multi-country prisoner exchange involving the United States, Poland, and Romania. The operation also included Belarus and Russia and reportedly involved at least seven countries.
In the same exchange, former SIS deputy director Alexandru Balan—previously convicted of treason-related charges involving Belarus—was released and later received in Belarus, where he was publicly welcomed. Moldovan authorities confirmed he was granted clemency to facilitate the exchange.
Also released was Russian citizen Nina Popova, the wife of a Russian serviceman stationed in the Transnistrian region, who had been convicted in Moldova for attempting to bribe a border police officer.
Moldovan intelligence authorities first reported the detention of the SIS officers in early 2025. Public confirmation of negotiations and the exchange emerged in April 2026, followed by the officers’ return to Moldova, where they were accompanied by SIS Director Musteața and operational staff involved in the mission.