THE LEADER OF OUR PARTY RENATO USATII REPORTED THAT TWO MOLDOVAN SPECIAL SERVICE OFFICERS HAVE BEEN IMPRISONED IN MOSCOW FOR TEN MONTHS

Renato Usatii, chairman of Our Party and deputy chairman of the parliamentary commission on security, defense, and public order, announced that two employees of the Moldovan Security and Intelligence Service (SIS) have been in prison in Moscow for ten months. He made this statement during a program on the JurnalTV channel.

“We are talking about two young officers – Victor Tsurea and Dionisie Banari. One of them served less than a year in the intelligence service, and the other for just over two years. They were sent to Moscow on a business trip. In April 2025, they were detained and have since been held in Lefortovo Prison, one of the most stringent penitentiary institutions,” the politician said.

He believes this is a case of betrayal by the SIS officers where the two Moldovan citizens worked.

“This is suggested by the fact that one arrived and settled in, but was not detained.” “The second man was detained at the airport upon arrival in Moscow, after which the first officer was also arrested. “It’s obvious that Russian intelligence services had information from Chisinau, were waiting for them, and arranged for both of them to be detained,” Usatii believes.

He stated that he intends to contact the Prosecutor General’s Office to open a criminal case and conduct an investigation.

“It’s not just that they were detained. Such cases happen. I believe this is treason, not an incident. And I want to find out who betrayed these guys. This is what needs to be held accountable,” the deputy emphasized.

According to him, the SIS leadership attempted to negotiate with the Russian FSB for the officers’ release.

“The Moldovan intelligence service has repeatedly approached the FSB and the Russian Embassy in Chisinau with proposals for various options for the release of its officers. Among the options discussed was an exchange for the convicted Bascan of Gagauzia, Eugenia Gutul. “Moscow said they weren’t interested in such a swap,” Usatii said.

He stated that he intends to do everything possible to secure the release of the two Moldovan citizens.

“Especially since they haven’t broken the law or committed anything illegal. They just arrived in Moscow, and they were detained,” Renato Usatii concluded.