Moldova’s election isn’t just a vote; it is the operational frontline of a sophisticated hybrid war waged by Russia. This contest could decide if Moldova secures its path to join the EU or becomes a proxy state for Vladimir Putin.
[Subscribe to our Substack: https://channel4news.substack.com/subscribe]
President Maia Sandu is sounding the alarm, telling anyone who will listen that Russia is trying to stop Moldova’s pro-EU future through an intricate web of cash, bribes, and misinformation. She warned the European Parliament that the Kremlin’s goal is "to capture Moldova through the ballot box" , emphasizing that if Moldova’s democracy cannot be protected, "no country in Europe is safe" .
Moldova’s government says Russian money is pouring into the country – they’ve accused Moscow of spending more than $200 million attempting to rig recent votes. Just one part of an intricate and sophisticated campaign of interference.
Behind many of these activities, including funding paid protests and political parties, is a highly prominent and controversial Moldovan – Ilan Shor – a convicted, bank-robbing oligarch who fled to Moscow and is widely seen as Putin’s key operative in Moldova. Shor’s operations evolved into a professional bot farm responsible for spreading relentless anti-EU propaganda and criticism of President Sandu.
Experts say this persistent and pervasive disinformation war Russia is running relies heavily on technology, generating sophisticated fake news articles and utilizing AI-generated video. The sheer volume of content is staggering and the authorities admit they cannot keep up with this widespread deluge of fake content.
The strategic objective of this extensive hybrid war is not necessarily to elect a specific pro-Russian party, but to deny the pro-European government a majority, thereby derailing Moldova’s integration with the EU and pulling the country back into Russia’s orbit .
——-
CHAPTERS:
00:00:00 Why Russia is accused of interfering in Moldova’s EU aspirations
00:02:47 Russia’s tactics – bribery, protests, and disinformation
00:04:35 The fugitive oligarch carrying out Russia’s plan
00:06:25 Why Moldova is a divided nation
00:11:59 Moldova’s history and ties to Russia
00:16:39 High stakes for Moldova’s European hopes
——-
FOR MORE ON THIS STORY:
We recommend reading the brilliant work by Natalia and her colleagues at Ziarul de Gardă –
VIDEO/ În slujba Moscovei. Trei luni printre „robii” lui Șor. Investigație ZdG sub acoperire
——-
CREDITS:
Reporter: Kiran Moodley
Camera & Editor: Matthew Lucas
Camera & Producer: Kieron Bryan
Assistant Producer: Anton Ferrie
Motion: Ian Watkins
With thanks to Valentin Macari and all those in Moldova who made this film possible
——-
Get more news at our site – https://www.channel4.com/news/
Subscribe to our Substack newsletter: https://channel4news.substack.com/subscribe
Follow us:
TikTok – https://www.tiktok.com/@c4news
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/channel4news/
Twitter – https://twitter.com/Channel4News
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/Channel4News/
