Moldova 2025 elections: Pro-Russian bloc faces dissolution, disinformation surges, banned Russian TV channels resurface, a priest is assaulted in a church dispute

Parties from the “Victory” bloc targeted for dissolution; Victoria Furtuna brings “a different God” to Moldova; banned Russian TV channels available on HaiTV.

The Ministry of Justice is seeking the dissolution of several Moldovan political parties that together form the so-called “Victory” bloc. A priest who attempted to switch to the Metropolis of Bessarabia, under the jurisdiction of the Romanian Orthodox Church, claimed that Victoria Furtună, affiliated with the Sor group, was behind the religious scandal in Grinauti. 

Disinformation is flooding Moldova’s media space, with obscure pages and Facebook groups spreading fake news about the European Union and the current pro-Western government. Several Russian TV channels banned in Moldova are accessible through the HaiTV streaming platform.

Justice ministry seeks dissolution of the “Victory” bloc parties

On August 11, the Ministry of Justice announced it had filed a court request to dissolve four political parties: „The Renaissance Party”, „Chance”, „Victory”, and the „Force for the Alternative and Salvation of Moldova”. The request came after the Central Election Commission notified the ministry that the four parties are successors of the outlawed Sor Party, which was outlawed in 2023.

The ministry stated that the four parties came to fruition after the party, led by fugitive Moldovan oligarch Ilan Sor, was declared unconstitutional for systematic, large-scale, opaque financing and attempts to overthrow the democratic order. According to authorities, the four parties took over the territorial structures and members of the Sor Party. Later, the party leaders attended a congress in Moscow where Sor announced the creation of the political bloc “Victory.”

Sor was sentenced in December 2024 to 15 years in prison for large-scale fraud and money laundering and is currently evading Moldovan justice.

Representatives of the bloc called the request an act of intimidation, according to Radio Free Europe Moldova. Read the full article here. 

Surge of disinformation on Facebook pages and groups

In the second half of July, the volume of disinformation and attacks on the current pro-Western government spreading across Facebook ahead of the parliamentary vote surged compared to the first two weeks previously monitored, according to Media Critica. 

An analysis of 83 public Facebook pages and groups monitored by the media watchdog found that most narratives originated from opposition parties and leaders, either published directly on their official pages or promoted through affiliated media outlets.

The study noted intensified attacks against the governing Party of Action and Solidarity and the government in general, followed by disinformation about alleged opposition persecution and supposed election fraud.

To boost virality and impact, common techniques include inducing fear, victimization, demonizing political opponents, presenting speculation as fact, manipulative historical analogies, and conspiracy theories. Read the full article here. 

Banned Russian TV channel still accessible in Moldova

Several Moldovan residents reported receiving advertisements in July for a streaming platform called HaiTV, which provides full access to several Russian TV channels previously banned in Moldova, deemed linked to the fugitive oligarch Sor. Although the government announced that both the HaiTV app and its website had been blocked in Moldova, they remain accessible, according to Ziarul de Garda.

sursa foto: Ziarul de Gardă

The news outlet found that HaiTV is connected to a Russian company sanctioned by the United States for selling drugs through the dark web. The company runs a Russian propaganda network known as Doppelgänger, which clones the websites of several international news outlets. Read the full article here. 

Spike in anonymous social media pages ahead of elections

An increasing number of anonymous Facebook pages, managed from outside Moldova, have appeared in recent weeks that promote sponsored anti-European and anti-government adverts which aim to undermine democratic processes and erode citizens’ trust in Moldova’s EU path. 

Among the suspect pages, analysed by Stopfals.md, is “Stiri din Moldova,” or News from Moldova, which promotes around 15–20 paid adverts with alarmist or unfounded statements such as “We don’t need the European Union,” and others that allege the country’s large diaspora is being monitored.  

Another page identified by Stopfals.md is “Твой Голос Нужен Молдове,” which translates to Your Voice is Needed in Moldova, which regularly posts videos and images with anti-EU and anti-government content, doctored videos and narratives claiming that Moldovan authorities are promoting LGBT propaganda in schools and society. Read the full article here. 

Priest assaulted for affiliating his church with a “different” Orthodox god

The priest of an Orthodox church in Grinauti, Riscani district, was physically assaulted and expelled from the parish he had led for more than a decade after the church opted to join the Romanian Orthodox Church instead of the Russian-administered Moldovan Orthodox Church. 

sursa foto: Ziarul de Gardă

In mid-July, Father Constantin Turtureanu was shoved and had his hair pulled as he was expelled from the parish he had served for 13 years. His wife, Ana Turtureanu, and their son were similarly targeted, according to Ziarul de Garda. 

The aggression took place in front of a group of priests and several police officers, who reportedly did not intervene to defend Father Constantin. Parishioners who support Father Constantin claim the confrontation was orchestrated by members of the Sor group, represented by Victoria Furtuna. 

Opponents of Father Constantin said they opposed the church’s transfer to the Romanian Orthodox Church because “there is a different God,” and because they want to remain Moldovans, sentiments echoed by pro-Russian forces who oppose Moldova’s close relationship to neighboring EU member Romania. Read the full article here.