The Republic of Moldova is once again in the news. On February 28, at the initiative of the pro-russian party “Shor”, thousands of people took to the streets of Chisinau demanding the removal of President M. Sanda and the ruling government from power. Protesters blocked a freeway north of the city and tried to break into a government building through a police cordon, sparking clashes with law enforcement.
Who is behind the “protest actions”?
The Moldovan special services proved that the “favorite agent of the kremlin” and leader of the interests of the russian federation in Moldova, Ilan Shor, is behind the organization of the protesters.
☝️ “Shor” is a “pocket” opposition political party of the pro-russian politician and oligarch I.Shor (who is in Israel). Shor has long-standing ties with russian special services, in 2014 he participated in a scheme to launder dirty russian money through Moldovan banks. After the russian invasion of Ukraine, the “Shor” party began to actively interact with the russian authorities and russian propaganda systematically promoted its leader, whom m.simonyan called a “pro-russian Moldovan politician.” It was “Shor” that became the kremlin’s main partner in organizing protest activities against the current president of Moldova. On October 26, 2022, the political party was included in the US sanctions list due to I. Shor’s connection with the russian government and the organization of riots with the aim of undermining the democratic development of Moldova.
As the journalists found out, most of the protesters were brought to the capital of Moldova by buses from the city of Kupcin, located in the north-west of the country. Many of them turned out to be russian-speaking, they could not answer what the protest was against and did not deny that they were participating in the event for money. The Information and Security Service of Moldova has proven that on the eve of the actions, a conspiratorial network of russians was operating in the country, who, under the guise of ordinary tourists, studied the territories near state institutions and critical infrastructure facilities, and also closely monitored social and political processes in the country.
It is obvious that with the help of the “fifth column” russia is implementing a plan to change Sandu’s pro-Western government into a puppet regime that can be used in the war against Ukraine.
The chronology of events shows that the kremlin unleashed a whole arsenal of hybrid war against the Republic of Moldova.
On February 9, the President of Ukraine V. Zelenskyy, speaking at a special meeting of the European Council, announced the russian plan to destabilize the political situation in Moldova, intercepted by Ukrainian intelligence. According to the information of the Secretary of the NSDC, O. Danilov, for the implementation of the plan, russia may use Chechen militants who are in Turkey under the “cover” of rescuers.
On February 13, M. Sandu stated that russia, with the help of I. Shor and the ex-leader of the Democratic Party of Moldova, businessman V. Plahotniuk, is planning to overthrow the constitutional government in Chisinau and establish a pro-russian one, “so that russia can stop the process of European integration of the republic and use Moldova in the war against Ukraine “.
On February 23, the ministry of defense of the russian federation announced that the Armed Forces of Ukraine were allegedly preparing an “armed provocation” in the region of Transnistria with the participation of the “Azov” regiment. As a pretext for the invasion, they plan to stage an alleged offensive of russian troops from the territory of Transnistria, for which Ukrainian saboteurs will be disguised as russian servicemen.
What are the goals pursued by the hybrid war of the russian federation against Moldova?
First, the kremlin is trying to overthrow the pro-Western authorities in Moldova in order to undermine the country’s move towards NATO and the EU. Attempts to leave Moldova in the “gray zone” are the reason for the kremlin’s purposeful special operation to destabilize the situation and discredit the legitimate authority of M. Sandu.
Secondly, the kremlin is very embarrassed by the willingness of the Ukrainian Armed Forces to help Moldova in the situation with Transnistria, as announced by the President of Ukraine. In the case of the official permission of the authorities of Moldova for such actions, it can fundamentally change the situation on the front not in favor of russia. Therefore, the plan involved by russia provides for the opening of a “second front” in Transnistria to divert the reserves and equipment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the southwestern part of Ukraine. According to Ukrainian intelligence, the reason for this could be russia’s recognition of the independence of Transnistria with the subsequent landing of airborne troops from the territory of occupied Crimea. There is also an assumption that the occupiers may try to land an amphibious assault in the Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi and Saratskyy districts of the Odesa region, and then try to break through to Transnistria. Experts from the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) believe that putin currently does not have the military potential to attack Moldova, but russia’s rhetoric indicates increasing efforts to undermine Moldovan statehood.
❗️ russia is implementing a hybrid plan in Moldova to destroy the political situation in the country. Competent authorities of Moldova keep the situation under control and “use all the informational support of partners to prevent any attempts to undermine the state.”
