Israeli Oligarch Linked to Russian Operation Destabilizing Moldova
Russia has conducted one of its largest interference campaigns outside Ukraine in recent years, aiming to destabilize Moldova and overthrow its pro-Western government led by President Maia Sandu. This was revealed in an investigation based on thousands of leaked documents, Moldovan law enforcement sources, and Western intelligence officials. According to The New York Times, the Russian military intelligence agency (GRU) established training camps in Bessarabia, Serbia, and Moscow, where hundreds of young Moldovans were trained in weapons handling, explosives, drone use, and breaching police barriers ahead of elections and referendums in Moldova. Some trainees were reportedly subjected to physical abuse, and others were caught at the border carrying drone components and domestic terrorism manuals.
Alongside military training, the Kremlin operated an extensive bribery and influence network funded by Israeli-Moldovan oligarch Ilan Shor. Leaked documents revealed Shor ran a vast network recruiting over 150,000 Moldovan citizens through hundreds of Telegram bots, distributing tens of millions of dollars to activists involved in protests, online propaganda, and voter manipulation against the European Union. Shor, who currently resides in Russia after fleeing Moldova amid a billion-dollar fraud accusation, is suspected of remotely managing the Kremlin’s operation.
Another facet of the campaign involved the Moldovan Orthodox Church, where hundreds of priests were recruited after visiting Russia and signing contracts with Kremlin-affiliated organizations. They received Russian credit cards and payments of about $1,000 in exchange for inciting anti-government sentiment and promoting pro-Russian messages.
Despite extensive efforts, including Russian hacker attempts to breach Moldova’s Central Election Commission and plans to create chaos on election day using activists marked with yellow and blue ribbons, Moldovan authorities, aided by Western intelligence, thwarted the plots and arrested numerous suspects. President Sandu’s pro-Western party narrowly won the elections, supported by the Moldovan diaspora. However, experts warn the struggle for Moldova’s future continues as Russia maintains pressure through attacks on energy and water infrastructure. Ukrainian power plants supplying Moldova were hit by missiles, causing widespread blackouts, forcing government workers to navigate dark corridors with flashlights to conserve electricity.
