At a padlocked storeroom here in the Moldovan capital, under close police guard, there sits a mound of pro-Russian propaganda that authorities say was part of an unprecedented Moscow-led attempt to sway a historic vote on the country’s future.

CHISINAU, Moldova -- Moldova's pro-Western president early Monday looked set to win the first round of a presidential race but accused "criminal groups" of undermining a referendum asking voters to decide whether to secure a path toward European Union membership, which risked being narrowly rejected.