The former chief of the General Staff of Moldova regularly leaked secret information to the Russian special services — he reported on the internal political situation in the country and passed on data about visits by representatives of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, who purchased military equipment and ammunition for the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Investigative journalists from The Insider and Little Country got access to Gorganʼs Telegram correspondence with his supervisor, Colonel of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Russian Federation Aleksei Makarov.
Gorgan was a Soviet officer. Since 2013, already a general, he assumed the position of Chief of the General Staff of Moldova, but due to a conflict with the then Minister of Defense Anatoliy Shalari, he had to leave the department. In 2019 — after the victory in the presidential elections of Moscowʼs protégé Igor Dodon — Gorgan again headed the General Staff. He sat in this seat until September 2021, when the new president Maia Sandu dismissed him.
Journalistsʼ sources in intelligence suggest that Gorganʼs active contacts with Russian intelligence began in 2004. Contacts were mostly made through military attachés in Chisinau, and Makarov took over Gorgan in 2019. They began to communicate especially actively in April 2022, that is, already after the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Judging by their correspondence, the GRU was particularly interested in what kind of weapons Kyiv was buying from neighboring countries, particularly Moldova. Gorgan reports: "Ukrainian Ukroboronexport is trying to buy (or take with the help of "partners") 6 MiG-29 [fighters] that are in Markulesti from Moldova. They insist very much. For now, the planes are in place. They want to run the operation through a front company from the United Arab Emirates in the near future."
Here are some more messages from Gorgan:
"Railway trains with fuel go from the territory of Moldova, namely from the village of Etulia to the settlement of Reni in Ukraine. Trains with fuel move only at night, during the day they stand still so as not to become a target of the Russian Air Force."
"Ukrainians have been walking around our Ministry of Defense for 3 weeks and asking for everything in a row, especially shells for artillery."
"We need to close the border with Romania as soon as possible! Itʼs a big hole! A lot of cargo is sent to Ukraine from there. Especially military cargo! The Romanians still have some military factories for the production of weapons and ammunition."
In the Ministry of Defense of Moldova, there are many protégés of Gorgan who provide him with secret information. Hereʼs what he wrote to Makarov: "Representatives of Ukraine approached representatives of our Ministry of Defense to find a connection with the MEZON military plant. This is a former radio electronics factory in Chisinau. He produced various electronics for the needs of the Soviet Army. Now the representatives of Ukraine are very interested in the repair and transfer of technical documentation for the tactical missile complex "Tochka-U"! We are talking about the radio-electronic component of this complex, which was produced in Chisinau. First of all, we are talking about electronic control units "Tochka-U"! This contact happened yesterday! They called one of our officers from the Main Staff from Ukraine and asked for help."
Regarding the internal situation in the country, Gorgan wrote that he hates Maia Sandu, who deprived him of his position.
He constantly "bombarded" Makarovʼs messages that everything was ready for the invasion of Russian troops in Moldova: "We urgently need to cleanse the country of all fascist abominations! Many are ready. Pass it on… The time has come. I keep the entire situation in the army under control... Fortunately, there is no "Azov" and other national formations here, and we will deal with the politicians quickly."
Where is Igor Gorgan now?
On the eve of the mass expulsion of Russian diplomats from Moldova in July 2023, Gorgan stopped communicating with Makarov and got a job at the UN Refugee Agency in Chisinau (UNHCR-Moldova). This agency takes into account all forcibly displaced persons from Ukraine and helps them settle in a new place. Gorgan is engaged in the delivery of humanitarian aid for Ukrainian children.