The election campaign in the Republic of Moldova is taking place in a context dominated by manipulation and influence operations. Investigations by Context.ro, EFOR, and WatchDog.md show how local actors and networks coordinated from Moscow are using religion, identity, and social fears to erode trust in the electoral process. Disinformation covers a variety of topics: conspiracies about the “Moldovan language,” anti-LGBTQ+ attacks, campaigns about the “persecution of Orthodox Christians,” and pro-Kremlin digital networks. All of these converge in an arsenal designed to undermine Moldova’s European path, even before the September 28 election.
Beyond the polls and electoral noise, Moldova is becoming the scene of an orchestrated information confrontation, in which the Kremlin is testing tools to polarize and undermine democratic institutions.
Welcome to the fourth edition of the FACT newsletter. Our partners present the latest investigations in the fight for truth.
Conspiracies and disinformation in the Moldovan parliamentary election campaign
Monitoring by Context.ro (including with an AI custom tool for TikTok) shows that, in the campaign for the September 28 elections, candidates and parties are pushing conspiracy narratives and hate messages: the revival of the false “Moldovan language” as a distinct identity; hallucinatory accusations that “Soros and USAID” are orchestrating political assassinations, including the death of Charlie Kirk (claims without factual support); anti-LGBTQ+ attacks that pathologize orientations and identities, used for polarization; and the resuscitation of the “Maia Sandu, anti-Orthodox” line, dismantled by explanations of religious protocol at the Vatican. Added to this are claims about the “lack of pro-Russian forces” and insinuations of electoral fraud based on possible blockages of the CEC website — confusion between the public interface and the counting infrastructure. Visible figures and formations: Victoria Furtună and “Moldova Mare,” the Patriotic Bloc (PSRM, communists, etc.), as well as candidates who disseminate such messages on TikTok.
“Operation Persecution of Orthodox Christians” continues in Moldova
Propaganda channels disguised under the umbrella of religion announce that a pro-Russian and anti-Semitic publicist is visiting the Republic of Moldova to expose “violations of the rights of believers.”
The Kremlin’s campaign portraying the Republic of Moldova as a state that “persecutes Orthodox believers” is taking on new dimensions. Under the guise of “Western bloggers,” figures known for conspiracy theories, anti-Semitism, and direct links to Russian propaganda have arrived in Chisinau. At the forefront is American Charles Bausman, founder of the Russia Insider website and a close associate of oligarch Konstantin Malofeev, nicknamed the “Orthodox oligarch” and internationally sanctioned for financing Russian aggression. The delegation—made up of controversial figures such as James Delingpole and Buck Johnson—is promoted by local disinformation channels such as Sare și Lumină and Tradiția.md. Presented as a group of “impartial journalists,” it fuels the false narrative that “religious rights” are being systematically violated in Moldova, using religion as a vector to undermine democratic institutions and exploit the polarization between the two Orthodox metropolises.
The pro-Kremlin ecosystem intensifies its operations
A coherent picture emerges from recent investigations: a “digital army” controlled through Ilan Shor’s network coordinates fake accounts on TikTok and Facebook, instructed on Telegram channels, with payments “directly from Moscow,” to push anti-EU and pro-Russian narratives. Context.ro has identified over 100 accounts and ~2,000 clips — many generated with AI — promoting themes such as “the Orthodox religion under attack” or “cancelled elections,” and the same infrastructure has amplified messages in favor of Călin Georgescu. At the same time, affiliated parties and structures (Moldova Mare – Victoria Furtună; Viitorul Moldovei – Vasile Tarlev/UNSTM) exploit minors in political activities and campaign logistics, including ideological trips to Russia financed by NGOs connected to the Șor network. An Inskt Group report maps the convergence of Russian operations (Overload, Undercut, Foundation for Combating Injustice, Portal Kombat) targeting Maia Sandu and PAS, with the aim of eroding public confidence and the European path.
Facebook networks synchronizes with TikTok in disinformation operations
EFOR identified 100 inauthentic accounts on Facebook that published over 1,000 posts between September 1 and 17, mirroring the infrastructure already documented on TikTok. The fake accounts function as a coordinated network: they distribute in groups, interact with each other, and propagate false or AI-generated content. The messages are calibrated through common hashtags (#Sandu, #glasulpoporului, #josPAS, #alegeri2025) and combine crisis themes, national humiliations, and conspiracy narratives with “neutral” posts about everyday joys, intended to camouflage the manipulative nature of the campaign. The analysis shows a cross-platform operation, prepared for the September 28 elections, which amplifies opposition and undermines democratic institutions and Moldova’s European path.
The full report can be read here:
WatchDog poll: voting intentions and geopolitical options
A new WatchDog poll conducted between September 6 and 13 (1,127 respondents, margin of error ±2.9%) shows that if parliamentary elections were held next Sunday, PAS would get 30% of the votes, followed by the Patriotic Bloc (PSRM–PCRM) with 13%, Our Party with 8%, BE Alternativa with 4%, and the parties affiliated with Ilan Shor with only 3%. Almost 27% of respondents do not yet know who they will vote for. Regarding referendums, 52% would vote for EU membership, while only 32% would support joining the Eurasian Economic Union. NATO remains divisive: 24% would vote for it, 51% against it. At the same time, 33% would support unification with Romania, compared to 49% who would oppose it. The data confirms a strong polarization, but also a relatively stable majority for the European vector.
Moldova, between pro-Russian hysteria and the monotony of the European path
The September 28 elections are a test of endurance for Moldovan democracy. Between PAS with its pro-EU agenda and the pro-Kremlin bloc, between Usatîi’s populism and Ceban’s “pragmatism,” the stakes are the country’s geopolitical direction. Sorin Ioniță (EFOR) shows why the post-vote scenarios could be explosive—or, paradoxically, salvific precisely because of the “boredom” of the European path.
Podcast WatchDog: new episode available
A new episode of Tărăboi follows the dirty games in Moldovan politics: espionage scandals, Șor’s blackmail and corruption network, Dodon ridiculed on TikTok, Renato Usatîi’s controversial past, and Ion Chicu’s “Alternative.” Finally, the podcast returns to Ion Ceban’s anti-European line.
Author: FACT