US-backed swap frees Moldovan officers
A US-backed international swap freed two Moldovan Intelligence and Security Service (SIS) officers from Russian captivity. The multilateral operation took several months and actively involved the United States, Poland, and Romania.
Foreign Minister Mihai Popșoi confirmed that John Coles, US President Donald Trump’s special envoy for Belarus, managed the diplomatic mission.
Diplomatic efforts and US support
The Russian FSB originally detained the Moldovan officers in 2025. Following their capture, Moldova's Presidential Administration immediately began seeking diplomatic avenues to secure their release.
"Thanks to trusted contacts, including our American partners, we found a diplomatic formula," Popșoi stated.
Moldova's chief diplomat reiterated President Maia Sandu's gratitude to the US administration for making the return possible. He specifically thanked President Trump, special envoy John Coles, and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Chris Smith.
The cost of freedom
Reporters questioned whether allowing Alexandru Bălan, a former SIS deputy chief with access to classified data, to relocate to Russia poses a severe security threat. Popșoi acknowledged that such decisions are highly complex.
However, he stressed that the physical safety of loyal Moldovan citizens who served their country takes absolute priority over other concerns.
The repatriation resulted from a broader international prisoner exchange involving two Moldovans and three Polish citizens. Moscow explicitly requested the release of Bălan and Russian citizen Nina Popova in exchange for the SIS personnel.
Treason and extradition
President Sandu pardoned Bălan via a presidential decree on April 28, clearing his path to Belarus. A Moldovan court had previously sentenced him on April 15 to one year and six months in prison for disclosing state secrets.
Authorities originally arrested Bălan, who holds both Moldovan and Romanian citizenship, in Timișoara on September 8, 2025. He faced accusations of leaking Romanian state secrets to Moscow-loyal Belarusian intelligence. Romania formally extradited him to Moldova on April 24.
Meanwhile, Russian authorities had held the two Moldovan SIS officers since 2025 on espionage charges. Moscow alleged they entered Russia using forged identities to conduct operations against national security.
The exchange in the forest
The Belarusian KGB welcomed Bălan with flowers upon his arrival. The state-run BelTA agency celebrated the operation, describing it as the successful repatriation of "Belarusian intelligence agents Alexandru Bălan and Vladislav Nadeiko."
The physical prisoner exchange took place deep within the Belovezhskaya Pushcha National Forest.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
