Russia Conducts Secret Operation to Overthrow Moldova's Pro-Western Government

A comprehensive investigation by The New York Times reveals that Russia orchestrated a covert and extensive campaign aimed at toppling Moldova's pro-Western government, preventing its EU accession, and reinstating Moscow's influence. The operation, active since mid-2024, involved training paramilitary groups in Serbia, Bosnia, and near Moscow, cyberattacks, vote-buying, propaganda dissemination, and recruiting hundreds of Orthodox priests to sway public opinion.

The training camps, supervised by Russia's military intelligence (GRU), taught Moldovan participants tactics such as breaking police barriers, arson, and using assault rifles and improvised explosives. Over 100 Moldovan youths trained in Russia also learned to operate drones equipped for incendiary or explosive attacks. Some trainees were unaware of the true purpose, with reports of coercion and violence against those refusing participation.

Central to the influence campaign was Moldovan-Israeli oligarch Ilan Shor, residing in Russia, who managed a financial network that mobilized over 150,000 Moldovan citizens for protests and propaganda against President Maia Sandu and Moldova's EU integration. His network used Telegram chatbots to coordinate activists and paid nearly $20 million to 38,000 operatives ahead of Moldova's 2024 EU membership referendum. Shor fled Moldova in 2019 amid fraud allegations and is reportedly linked to Kremlin official Sergey Kiriyenko.

Russia also recruited hundreds of Moldovan Orthodox priests, bringing them to Russia for visits and meetings with church leaders, then contracting them to promote pro-Russian narratives and oppose EU accession. Some priests publicly denounced Western values shortly before the 2024 elections.

The campaign peaked during Moldova's parliamentary elections on September 28, 2025, with trained activists prepared to incite riots and Russian hackers targeting Moldova's Central Election Commission. Moldovan authorities, aided by Western cybersecurity experts, thwarted many attacks and arrested numerous suspects. Despite these efforts, President Sandu's party secured just over 50% of the vote, largely due to support from Moldovans abroad.

Following the elections, Russia continued hostile actions, including drone strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure near Moldova, causing power outages in Moldova. Moscow denies interference, but intelligence sources indicate Moldova remains a strategic target for Russia to destabilize the West and support operations against Ukraine. Moldova's National Security Advisor Stanislav Skrieru and cybersecurity agency head Mihai Lupașcu acknowledge the ongoing threat, stating that while they "won the battle," the broader conflict continues.