Moldovan journalists infiltrated Kremlin’s network in Moldova and investigated its influence campaigns

Moldova’s main TV channels aired a journalistic investigation into how the populist and pro-Russian party Shor bribes citizens for money from Moscow and incites voters to oppose EU integration in the upcoming referendum. 

The Ziarul de Gardă portal, whose journalists had already published a corresponding investigation, reported this. The state TV channel Moldova-1, along with other prominent channels like TV8, Jurnal TV, ONE TV, and Star TV, broadcast the investigation on Sunday evening.

An investigative journalist infiltrated “Shor’s network”

The journalists of the Moldovan edition infiltrated the “network of Ilan Shor,” an oligarch and the leader of a populist pro-Russian party. The Moldovan journalists’ investigation revealed how they recruit citizens to work in Russia’s interests and remunerate them with payments to Russan bank cards.

According to their conclusions, the party’s current main tasks are to change the country’s European path, compromise the EU accession referendum, and provide votes to the candidate backed by Shor, who opposes the current president Maia Sandu.

A portal’s journalist, acting under a false name, infiltrated the network and spent three months participating in pro-Russia and anti-EU protests organized by the party, pre-election meetings, and performing their campaign tasks, thus learning how the system of pro-Kremlin influence works to influence Moldova’s political course.

For instance, the party rented cars instead of buses to transport people to one of the July protests, a move that the police could have noticed and prevented. Local coordinators within pro-Russian groups distributed posters with slogans at the rallies, arranging people for appropriate photos and videos as needed.

Journalists disclosed how pro-Russian activists are paid

The Telegram chatbot registered the investigator as an activist in August and instructed her to recruit new supporters, offering “bonus payments” for each person she brought in and the potential for “career growth” within the network.

The recruits received a monthly income promise of up to a thousand lei, according to the media investigation. Until recently, they used to receive money “normally, not on the phone”—that is, in cash—but now they receive bank cards for this purpose.

Thus, the infiltrated journalist, using a forged document with her “legendary name” created in the editorial office, became the owner of an account in the Russian Promsvyazbank.

In September and October, she received a salary of 15 thousand rubles for the tasks she performed. During the process, she received numerous calls from Moscow.

Moldova cracks down on network of pro-Russian websites and channels

The investigation also found that Shor’s network continued to operate even after the Moldovan police and prosecutors announced the liquidation of the voter bribery network. 

On October 3, Moldova’s Information and Security Service blacklisted five websites, including Russian Yandex, Rutube, and Dzen. The SIS ordered Internet service providers to prohibit Russian video hosting platform Rutube (rutube.ru) and social platform Zen (yandex.ru and dzen.ru).

In addition, Moldovan law enforcement agents ordered the banning of two MD24 Internet TV channel websites (moldova24.online and pwa.moldova24.online), which are linked to fugitive pro-Russian oligarch Ilan Shor.

In September, Moldova prohibited seven more websites prior to the presidential election, at the request of the Information and Security Service, including six Russian propaganda websites and one Moldovan.

The blacklist includes Russia’s news agency, RIA Novosti, also under EU sanctions. The SIS said that these websites pose “national security risks” to Moldova. It ordered Moldovan web communications providers to block access to five Russian websites: Ng.ru, Gazetacrimea.ru, Crimea.gov.ru, Crimea.ria.ru, Crimea24tv.ru, and Ria.ru.

In October, Moldovan authorities blocked the Telegram channels of pro-Russian fugitive oligarch Ilan Shor, those associated with his political party, and key associates, including the officially elected head of the autonomous region of Gagauzia.

This incident affected the channels belonging to Shor, his close associate Marina Tauber, Evgenia Gutsul, the head of the autonomous region of Gagauzia, and several other politicians. The authorities also blocked the Eurasia channel, which belongs to a Shor-affiliated organization, and the Gagauzinfo.MD news Telegram channel.

Moldova to hold EU referendum and presidential elections

Next Sunday, October 20, Moldova will simultaneously hold presidential elections and a referendum on the country’s accession to the EU. 

Moldova, where Russia maintained substantial influence after the former Soviet country gained independence, has shifted its stance towards the West under Sandu, who replaced Moscow-backed incumbent Igor Dodon in November 2020.

After Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine and an all-out war, Moldova aligned itself with the West and condemned Moscow’s war aggression.

Moldova received an invitation to join the EU in 2022, and membership negotiations began with the European Union in June.