Russia Intensifies Disinformation Campaign in Moldova Ahead of Elections

Moldova faces a surge of Russian-backed disinformation and destabilization efforts as voters prepare to elect a new parliament, with the country’s pro-European trajectory at stake. According to Bloomberg and The Insider, internal Kremlin documents reveal a multi-pronged strategy designed to weaken President Maia Sandu’s Action and Solidarity Party and disrupt Moldova’s path toward European integration. Tactics include recruiting Moldovans abroad to vote in targeted polling stations, orchestrating disruptive protests, and launching a widespread social media campaign to discredit the government.

Investigations by the BBC uncovered a pro-Russian network operating through Telegram and funded by Promsvyazbank, a sanctioned Russian state bank. Moldovan recruits were reportedly paid 3,000 lei (about $170) per month to post anti-government content on Facebook and TikTok, with the network running at least 90 TikTok accounts, some posing as legitimate news outlets. The group also staged biased opinion polls and spread manipulated content, including AI-generated videos mocking President Sandu.

Technical Links and Propaganda Networks

Cybersecurity analysts at Silent Push and RecordedFuture have traced the technical infrastructure of the 2025 Moldovan disinformation campaign to earlier Russian propaganda efforts, notably the "Matryoshka" or "Storm-1679" group. These operations share digital fingerprints with the Russian news site Absatz, run by Mikhail Sergeyevich Shakhnazarov, who has been sanctioned in Ukraine for supporting Russian disinformation. The campaign leverages bot networks, anonymous websites, and coordinated social media accounts to amplify false narratives and undermine trust in the electoral process.

Moldovan Response and Societal Impact

Moldovan authorities have responded with over 200 raids and the arrest of more than 70 individuals suspected of participating in Russian-backed destabilization plots, according to TVP World. Security officials reported that Moldovan citizens were trained in Serbia to provoke mass disorder during the election period, under the supervision of foreign instructors. President Maia Sandu has publicly accused the Kremlin of waging a hybrid war against Moldova, aiming to capture the country through the ballot box and use it as a platform for further regional destabilization.

The disinformation campaign targets a range of themes, including claims that European integration threatens Moldovan neutrality, that the government persecutes minorities, and that Moldova is being drawn into NATO and prepared for conflict with Russia. Sociologists and civil society experts, such as Tatiana Cojocari of WatchDog.MD, warn that these narratives are designed to delegitimize the election results and mobilize opposition to pro-European parties, potentially sparking unrest if the ruling party prevails. Russian officials deny any interference, instead accusing President Sandu’s government of stoking anti-Russian sentiment for political gain.

Financial and Religious Influence

The Kremlin’s efforts are bolstered by financial support from fugitive Moldovan oligarch Ilan Shor, currently residing in Russia, who funds political alliances and NGOs to siphon votes from the ruling party. The Moldovan Orthodox Church, subordinate to the Russian Orthodox Church, has also been used as a channel for influence, with priests reportedly receiving Russian bank cards and funded trips to Moscow and Serbia. These combined efforts reflect a broad and persistent campaign to steer Moldova away from the European Union and maintain Russian influence in the region.