Putin's Covert Campaign Targets Moldova to Destabilize NATO and EU

According to a New York Times report, Russian intelligence has been training young operatives in Serbia to breach police barricades, ignite buildings, and use assault rifles while wearing body armor. These covert training camps, disguised as typical summer retreats, were led by agents linked to Russia's military intelligence (GRU) with the goal of creating a skilled force to interfere in Moldova's elections and sow chaos. Moldova, a small country of three million located strategically between Ukraine and NATO states, is a key target in President Vladimir Putin's plan to undermine Western stability.

Western intelligence sources reveal that Russia prioritizes control over Ukraine first and Moldova second, aiming for the "collapse of NATO and the European Union from within" by 2026. Central to this operation is Ilan Shor, an Israeli-Moldovan oligarch living in Russia who fled Moldova after being accused of a billion-dollar fraud. Shor allegedly manages the campaign remotely, recruiting over 150,000 people via Telegram bots to participate in staged protests and spread anti-Western propaganda. In the four months before Moldova's 2024 referendum on EU membership, nearly $20 million was paid to 38,000 activists.

The Kremlin's tactics also include enlisting hundreds of Orthodox priests to preach against the EU in exchange for payments and Russian-backed bank cards. Some young recruits returned from camps in Serbia and Bosnia equipped with drone parts and manuals on domestic terrorism, aiming to "ignite the spark" rather than commit mass crimes. Ahead of Moldova's September 2025 parliamentary elections, Russian hackers infiltrated election commission servers, and trained activists prepared to incite unrest, though Moldovan police conducted extensive arrests.

Despite the pro-Western government narrowly winning the elections, Russia has escalated attacks on Moldova's energy infrastructure by striking Ukrainian power plants supplying Moldova, causing widespread blackouts. Government buildings operate under dim lighting to conserve electricity. Moldovan officials warn that Russia is engaged in a long-term campaign, with the battle for Moldova's future and European stability far from over. Mihai Lupsco, head of Moldova's cyber agency, stated, "We won the battle, but not the war."