"As required by law, the operator did not request authorization three days in advance to change the flight schedule," Moldova's civil aviation authority explained on the social network Facebook.
Bucharest Airport confirmed that the aircraft landed this morning carrying 174 passengers and was subsequently the target of a false bomb threat, which required a security check to allow it to take off.
"Chisinau airport refused to land a flight from Moscow via Yerevan, carrying participants of the Moldovan opposition congress, and the plane was diverted to Bucharest," pro-Russian deputy Marina Tauber wrote on the social network Telegram.
In videos released by this deputy, cited by international agencies, it is possible to see passengers inside the Moldovan company Flyone's aircraft, who are subsequently informed that they must disembark to go through identity checks.
The political situation between Moscow and Chisinau is tense as the October 20 presidential election approaches in this country that for a long time was in the Russian orbit, but which under the current leadership of President Maia Sandu has turned towards the West.
Sandu is running for re-election and has repeatedly warned against Russian interference in Moldovan internal affairs.
In a statement released on Thursday, the United States, United Kingdom and Canada stated that "Russian actors are organizing a scheme to influence the results" and "spreading rumors" about the current head of state.
According to this Western version, the Kremlin (Russian presidency) is using "criminal groups to finance political activities and undermine Moldova's democratic institutions".
In April, Moldovan police seized one million euros in cash from around 150 pro-Russian opposition supporters, who were returning from a meeting in Moscow and who are suspected of "participating in an illegal financing scheme" ahead of the presidential election.
In turn, Maia Sandu's opponents denounce several repressive actions to prevent her from participating in the election.
With around 2.5 million inhabitants, Moldova is located between Romania and Ukraine.
The Moldovan breakaway region of Transnistria rose to prominence after the start of the war in Ukraine due to its ties with Russia and its important geostrategic position.
Kyiv even denounced alleged Russian incursions into western Ukraine from the separatist region.
Russia maintains a contingent of 1,500 soldiers in Transnistria, whose pro-Moscow separatists have controlled the territory since Moldova's civil war in 1992.
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