Russian-funded network runs disinformation campaign against Moldova's pro-EU ruling party ahead of 2025 elections, linked to sanctioned oligarch Ilan Shor and funded via Russian bank Promsvyazbank.

Cyber & Information WarfareInformation OperationsPropaganda & disinformation campaigns

Aggressor

Summary

A secret Russian-funded network is attempting to disrupt Moldova's 28 September 2025 parliamentary elections by promoting pro-Russian propaganda and fake news to undermine the pro-EU ruling party, Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS). The network recruited participants to post disinformation on social media platforms like TikTok and Facebook and to conduct unofficial polling with secretly recorded interviews of pro-Russian supporters. The network is linked to Moldovan oligarch Ilan Shor, sanctioned by the US, UK, and EU, and is bankrolled from Russia through the sanctioned Russian bank Promsvyazbank. The propaganda campaign includes unfounded allegations against President Maia Sandu and the ruling party, aiming to question election results and destabilize Moldovan democracy. The network operates via Telegram with at least 90 TikTok accounts producing thousands of videos since January 2025, amassing over 23 million views in Moldova alone. The UK Foreign Office states the network operates on behalf of Ilan Shor to destabilize Moldova. Social media companies claim to be countering disinformation ahead of elections. The Russian embassy denies involvement, accusing the EU of interference instead.

Classification

Confidence: High

Detailed undercover investigation with direct evidence of coordination, funding, and operation of a Russian-backed disinformation network targeting an election in Moldova, linked to known sanctioned individuals and entities acting to destabilize a sovereign democratic process.

Source URL

https://bbc.com/news/articles/c4g5kl0n5d2o

Open source

Provenance

Publisher: extension
Submitted: Jun 16, 2026, 00:08 UTC
Last updated: Nov 8, 2026, 18:44 UTC
Event time: Sep 21, 2025, 00:00 UTC

Published as a hybrid-warfare signal with a public source and reviewer-approved assessment bands. See the methodology for how records are assessed.

Raw record

{
  "id": "57a0eee2-ce3b-44e4-b87b-6076246254c2",
  "url": "https://bbc.com/news/articles/c4g5kl0n5d2o",
  "source": "extension",
  "status": "approved",
  "category": "Cyber & Information Warfare",
  "subcategory": "Information Operations",
  "incident_type": "Propaganda & disinformation campaigns",
  "country": "Moldova",
  "source_reliability": "C",
  "info_credibility": "3",
  "tags": [
    "russian influence operations",
    "disinformation",
    "election interference",
    "Moldova",
    "Ilan Shor",
    "Promsvyazbank",
    "Evrazia NGO",
    "Telegram",
    "TikTok",
    "2025 elections",
    "pro-Russian propaganda",
    "fake news"
  ],
  "nodes": [],
  "countries": [
    "Moldova"
  ],
  "where_text": "Cyberspace",
  "headline": null,
  "description": "A secret Russian-funded network is attempting to disrupt Moldova's 28 September 2025 parliamentary elections by promoting pro-Russian propaganda and fake news to undermine the pro-EU ruling party, Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS). The network recruited participants to post disinformation on social media platforms like TikTok and Facebook and to conduct unofficial polling with secretly recorded interviews of pro-Russian supporters. The network is linked to Moldovan oligarch Ilan Shor, sanctioned by the US, UK, and EU, and is bankrolled from Russia through the sanctioned Russian bank Promsvyazbank. The propaganda campaign includes unfounded allegations against President Maia Sandu and the ruling party, aiming to question election results and destabilize Moldovan democracy. The network operates via Telegram with at least 90 TikTok accounts producing thousands of videos since January 2025, amassing over 23 million views in Moldova alone. The UK Foreign Office states the network operates on behalf of Ilan Shor to destabilize Moldova. Social media companies claim to be countering disinformation ahead of elections. The Russian embassy denies involvement, accusing the EU of interference instead.",
  "summary_short": "Russian-funded network runs disinformation campaign against Moldova's pro-EU ruling party ahead of 2025 elections, linked to sanctioned oligarch Ilan Shor and funded via Russian bank Promsvyazbank.",
  "summary_extended": null,
  "actor_primary": "Ilan Shor",
  "target_primary": null,
  "location_text": "Chișinău",
  "location_region": null,
  "location_coordinates_lat": 47.0105,
  "location_coordinates_lon": 28.8638,
  "location_precision": "Approximate",
  "is_aggressor_signal": true,
  "signal_type": "HYBRID_SIGNAL",
  "is_hybrid_war_signal": true,
  "classification_complete": true,
  "hybrid_signal_complete": true,
  "classification_confidence": "High",
  "classification_rationale": "Detailed undercover investigation with direct evidence of coordination, funding, and operation of a Russian-backed disinformation network targeting an election in Moldova, linked to known sanctioned individuals and entities acting to destabilize a sovereign democratic process.",
  "event_time_utc": "2025-09-21T00:00:00.000Z",
  "end_time_utc": null,
  "event_time_confidence": "pm24h",
  "created_at": "2026-06-16T00:08:00.590Z",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-08T18:44:50.229Z",
  "reliability_band": "strong",
  "location_precision_band": "approximate",
  "time_precision_band": "within_24h",
  "severity_band": "significant",
  "attribution_confidence_band": "high",
  "attribution_basis": "single_source"
}

Public assessmentReliability: StrongSeverity: SignificantAttribution: HighSingle sourceTime: Same dayLocation: Approximate

Source reliability

Info credibility

Event time

Sep 21, 2025, 00:00 UTC

Event time confidence

pm24h

Location

Chișinău

Primary actor

Ilan Shor

Country

Moldova

Countries

Moldova

Tags

russian influence operations, disinformation, election interference, Moldova, Ilan Shor, Promsvyazbank, Evrazia NGO, Telegram, TikTok, 2025 elections, pro-Russian propaganda, fake news

Loading signal...

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