(Bloomberg) — Moldovan authorities are cracking down on attempts to secure citizenship through fraud as the former Soviet republic seeks European Union accession and shifts away from Russian dominance.

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The head of Moldova’s Public Services Agency, Mircea Esanu, said at least 30 attempts to obtain citizenship by fraudulent means had been made since war broke out in neighboring Ukraine nearly two years ago. He singled out the case of two unidentified individuals who sought naturalization with fake documents and bogus claims of being related to Moldovans.

“We know for sure that there is fraud,” Esanu told Jurnal TV late Thursday, saying he didn’t identify those accused of fraud in an ongoing probe. “We have already refused to give them citizenship, but we want to make sure that people who contributed or were accomplices to these crimes end up in the dock.”

Demand for Moldovan citizenship has almost doubled since the Russian invasion began in February 2022, with Russian citizens making up 70% of applicants, Esanu said. A fifth are Ukrainian citizens. Authorities extended an examination period for applications to six months from 20 days in an effort to boost scrutiny.

Moldova’s pro-European government is struggling to shake off Russian influence after decades of relying on Moscow for energy supplies and trade. Pro-European President Maia Sandu has warned that Russia will likely try to meddle in Moldova’s internal affairs ahead of a presidential election later this year.

Sandu’s administration has managed to put the nation wedged between Ukraine and Romania on a path to join the EU. It received candidate status in 2022 and was cleared by Brussels to start accession talks in December.

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