Bloomberg: Russia developed a plan to interfere in Moldovaʼs parliamentary elections in September

Russia has developed a plan to interfere in Moldovaʼs parliamentary elections, with the aim of undermining the chances of pro-European President Maja Sanduʼs “Action and Solidarity” party in the September 28 elections and ultimately removing her from power.

This is evidenced by documents reviewed by Bloomberg.

The Russian plan also aims to thwart the Moldovan governmentʼs efforts to maintain the countryʼs course towards joining the European Union.

The multi-pronged strategy was finally formed in the spring, coordinated directly by the Kremlin. Among the tactics:

• recruiting Moldovans abroad, particularly in Russia, to vote at polling stations in the EU and other countries;
• involving other groups to organize and conduct protests for the purpose of destabilization;
• a large-scale disinformation campaign on social media;
• using compromising material to pressure officials and disrupt the electoral process.

One of the main elements of the Kremlinʼs strategy is to create the appearance of a competitive struggle, which is actually aimed at diluting Sanduʼs support.

The plans also include a disinformation campaign on Telegram, TikTok, and Facebook, as well as through traditional channels and call centers. Messages in Romanian (Moldovaʼs official language) and Russian accuse the current president of being a "puppet of the West" who is leading the country into poverty and war.

Moldovan police are currently trying to stop the spread of fake news on social media and are reporting the illegal import of money to bribe voters and political parties.

According to the documents, Russia plans to recruit young men from sports clubs and criminal groups to carry out provocations during the vote and in the protests after it, including demonstrations demanding Sanduʼs resignation if her party loses or allegations of fraud if she wins.

Parliamentary elections in Moldova

Sanduʼs PAS party has vowed to jump-start the EU accession process and gain access to vital funds since talks began last year. But recent polls suggest PAS could lose its majority in parliament, raising the prospect of a difficult coalition with other forces.

PASʼs main opponents are several forces, including the nominally pro-European Alternative bloc and the pro-Russian bloc led by former President Igor Dodon.

On his social media, he accused the Moldovan authorities of illegally pressuring opposition parties. He also said that “certain Western countries” were interfering in the election campaign, sending high-ranking officials to support PAS and threatening to cut aid to Moldova if the party was defeated.

A separate package of documents seen by Bloomberg shows that while in office, Dodon asked the security services to monitor political opponents.

The list included not only his opponents, including Sandu, but also other pro-Russian politicians and businessmen. It included data on flights, border crossings, meetings, and even photo and video recordings of events. The exchange of messages indicates that the secret services also monitored some foreign embassies.

In a comment to Bloomberg, Dodon stated that he had always acted legally and in the interests of Moldova.

Dodon was noted for his ambiguous statements regarding the war between Ukraine and Russia. He stated that “all sides are guilty of the conflict”. When asked who owns Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Luhansk, and Kherson regions, the ex-president replied that “the consequences of the peace negotiations will make it clear where the war will stop”.

What preceded

Moldovan President Maja Sandu said on July 30 that Russia is preparing unprecedented interference in the parliamentary elections in Moldova, scheduled for September.

Sandu reported that the Kremlin is investing in several political projects to get its people into the next parliament. All of these projects are coordinated from one center and are largely financed through the schemes of Ilan Shor, the leader of the pro-Russian “Shor” party, who is suspected of attempting a coup. In particular, according to Sandu, Russia is trying to bribe voters. About €100 million is planned to be channeled through cryptocurrency alone.

• The Moldovan Central Election Commission (CEC) rejected the application for registration for the elections of the pro-Russian political bloc "Victory" on July 20. And on August 3, the commission decided to exclude four parties from the list of those eligible to participate in the parliamentary elections on September 28.
• Among them are the "Alternative Forces for the Salvation of Moldova", the "Chance" party and the "Victory" party, which are members of the pro-Russian bloc "Victory", close to the convicted fugitive oligarch Ilan Shor.
• However, CEC registered the "Patriotic Socialists, Heart and Future of Moldova" bloc, which includes the socialist party of the countryʼs former president Igor Dodon to participate in the parliamentary elections.
• This is not the first time Russia has attempted to influence Moldovaʼs political system. In October 2024, Moldovan Deputy Prime Minister Christina Gerasimov said that Russia had invested almost €100 million in attempts to disrupt the presidential elections and the referendum on EU accession.

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