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In Moldova, Russian Disinformation Campaigns Escalate Ahead of Parliamentary Elections
Russian and pro-Russian propaganda significantly intensified their disinformation efforts in Moldova throughout 2025, with coordinated campaigns peaking ahead of the September 28 parliamentary elections. These operations largely mirrored 2024 tactics, focusing on undermining European integration, stoking fear of war, and delegitimizing the pro-European government in Chișinău.
Media watchdog Veridica documented numerous false narratives specifically targeting vulnerable regions like Transnistria and Găgăuzia, where Russian media influence remains strongest.
Five primary narrative themes dominated the disinformation landscape. The most prominent portrayed the European Union as detrimental to Moldova, falsely claiming the EU triggered Moldova’s energy crisis and destroyed its agricultural sector. These claims directly contradict economic data showing the EU remains Moldova’s primary financial supporter and export destination, accounting for approximately two-thirds of Moldovan exports.
“When Russia practically halted gas deliveries to Moldova’s right bank in 2022 and later to Transnistria in early 2025, propaganda networks bizarrely blamed the EU for the resulting energy challenges,” explained a regional security analyst familiar with the situation.
Another prevalent narrative portrayed Russia as Moldova’s “true friend” while simultaneously depicting Moldova as an aggressor toward Transnistria. This contradictory messaging included accusations that Chișinău was planning military action against the separatist region while simultaneously suggesting Moldova might abandon Transnistria for EU membership.
War-mongering narratives formed another key pillar of the disinformation campaign. These included fabricated claims that Moldova would be required to enter the Ukraine conflict as a prerequisite for EU membership, and that NATO had deployed 70,000 troops to Romania with plans to occupy Ukrainian territory starting from Transnistria.
Pro-Kremlin outlets consistently characterized President Maia Sandu’s administration as a “dictatorship,” particularly targeting government actions against fugitive politician Ilan Shor, who was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment for banking fraud and currently resides in Moscow. False claims that Chișinău had revoked Găgăuzia’s autonomy and was persecuting the Russian Orthodox Church further fueled this narrative.
The fifth major theme involved accusations of “Russophobia” and “Nazism,” drawing deliberate parallels to Russia’s justifications for invading Ukraine. These narratives specifically targeted Russian-speaking minorities with claims that Moldova was forcing people to abandon the “Moldovan language” in favor of Romanian – despite linguistic experts widely recognizing them as the same language.
Among the most egregious fabrications debunked by fact-checkers were claims that the Romanian Orthodox Church promotes an “LGBT agenda” in Moldova, that the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) manipulated election results to secure Sandu’s victory, and that Moldova has territorial claims on Ukraine’s Bugeac region.
Particularly outlandish narratives included suggestions that Moldova’s EU membership would collapse the European economy – despite Moldova’s GDP representing less than 0.1% of the EU’s economy – and that Romania only refrained from attacking Transnistria “because it is too weak,” ignoring Romania’s NATO membership and substantial military modernization.
Russian Ambassador to Moldova Oleg Ozerov has denied the existence of Russian propaganda in the country, contradicting substantial evidence documented by local and international monitoring organizations.
The intensification of these disinformation campaigns highlights Russia’s continuing efforts to maintain influence in Moldova as the country pursues European integration, particularly as it approaches a critical parliamentary election that could determine its geopolitical trajectory for years to come.
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12 Comments
It’s disheartening to see Russia escalating its disinformation efforts in Moldova ahead of the elections. Maintaining a focus on objective data and independent fact-checking will be essential for Moldovan voters to make informed choices.
Agreed. Preserving the integrity of the democratic process in the face of coordinated propaganda campaigns is a significant challenge. Strengthening democratic institutions and media independence will be crucial for Moldova.
Disinformation campaigns targeting vulnerable regions like Transnistria and Găgăuzia are particularly concerning. Building resilience in these communities through media literacy programs could help residents better identify and resist propaganda.
That’s a great point. Empowering local communities with the tools to discern fact from fiction will be crucial in these regions where Russian influence remains strong. A multipronged approach is needed to counter the disinformation.
The claims about the EU harming Moldova’s agriculture and energy sectors seem highly misleading. I’d be interested to see the specific economic data that demonstrates the EU’s role as Moldova’s primary financial and trade partner.
Absolutely, it’s critical to counter these false narratives with hard facts. Transparency around the EU’s support for Moldova’s development and trade relationships will be key to combating the disinformation campaign.
Interesting to see how Russia tries to sow disinformation and undermine Moldova’s pro-EU path. It’s important to counter these false narratives with facts about the EU’s support for Moldova’s economy and development.
Absolutely, the EU has been a crucial partner for Moldova, providing substantial financial and technical assistance. Debunking the propaganda is essential for Moldovans to make informed decisions.
The energy crisis in Moldova is a complex issue, and it’s concerning to see Russia using it to spread disinformation. I’m curious to learn more about the specific economic data that counters these false claims.
From what I understand, the data shows the EU is Moldova’s largest trading partner and source of financial support, despite Russia’s efforts to disrupt this relationship. Transparent information is key to fighting disinformation.
It’s alarming to see the scale and coordination of Russia’s disinformation campaigns targeting vulnerable regions in Moldova. Strengthening media literacy and fact-checking will be crucial to protect the integrity of the upcoming elections.
I agree, the disinformation efforts seem to be ramping up ahead of the parliamentary elections. Vigilance and a focus on objective, verifiable information will be essential for Moldovan voters.