Russia Reported to Plan Large-Scale Interference in Moldova Elections

Russia has developed a comprehensive plan to interfere in Moldova's upcoming parliamentary elections, aiming to undermine President Maia Sandu's pro-European Action and Solidarity party and promote pro-Russian forces. The Kremlin's strategy, finalized in spring 2025, includes recruiting Moldovan voters abroad, staging disruptive protests, deploying disinformation campaigns on platforms like TikTok, Telegram, and Facebook, and using compromising materials to pressure officials and destabilize the electoral process. Moldovan authorities have responded by cracking down on disinformation and vote-buying, seizing significant funds tied to bribery and blocking hundreds of TikTok accounts. A BBC investigation revealed a secret Russian-funded network paying participants to produce pro-Russian propaganda and conduct illegal polls to challenge election outcomes, with links to Moldovan oligarch Ilan Shor, sanctioned for malign Kremlin operations. The EU and Moldova's leadership emphasize the election's importance for regional security, warning that Russia aims to use Moldova as a launchpad for hybrid attacks against the EU and Ukraine. While Russia denies meddling, European officials consider Kremlin interference in Moldova's elections highly likely.