Moldova 2025 elections: Organizations linked to Sor operate freely in Moldova, disinformation campaigns by Russia and Belarus intensify, and anti-government protests orchestrated

Organizations associated with Moldovan fugitive oligarch Ilan Sor and Irina Vlah are advancing the Kremlin’s interests in Moldova, facilitating payments from Moscow and anti-EU messaging. A disinformation network of over 900 social media accounts targets the European Union, and Moldova’s European integration efforts, and pro-EU leaders in Chisinau. Meanwhile, several Moldovans set up tents for an illegal protest against the pro-Western government, reportedly in the hopes of being paid by Sor, while Russian narratives about Moldova continue to be rolled out in Belarus.

Two pro-Russian organizations registered in Moldova 

Two similarly named organizations – Soul and Heart of Moldova, and Heart of Moldova – were registered last year in Leova and Chisinau. 

Soul and Heart of Moldova, led by former police officer Andrei Popa, who obtained a Russian passport in Moscow after leaving public office. Popa, 35, now a leader of the pro-Russian Sansa party, has protested against the pro-Western government and is popular on TikTok. He works directly for Ilan Sor, the fugitive pro-Russian Moldovan oligarch. The organisation was registered last summer in the city of Leova. A Molodvan court recently ruled that he was implicated in electoral bribery during last year’s election cycle, with police alleging he received money via the Russian commercial bank Promsvyazbank.

The other organisation, the Heart of Moldova party, is led by pro-Russian politician Irina Vlah. During her 2015 campaign for Governor of Gagauzia, she used Kremlin-drafted, anti-European speeches, including a call for “a dignified future alongside Russia.”

sursa foto: rise.md

RISE Moldova found that the party’s website domain had previously been owned by a major brewery that had tried but failed to register the “Heart of Moldova” trademark due to concerns it could harm the nation’s image.  Vlah eventually secured the name and incorporated it into her Patriotic electoral bloc. Read the full investigation here.

The pro-Russian disinformation network expands in Moldova

The Kremlin has activated a propaganda machine through a network of major social media platforms – YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram – to try to influence public opinion ahead of the September parliamentary election. 

WatchDog.md identified a network of 910 online accounts distributing Russian propaganda narratives that attack the European Union, Moldova’s integration process with the 27-nation bloc, and undermine democratic processes and pro-European leaders in Chisinau.

Through this network, messages of pro-Russian politicians and parties in Moldova were distributed, such as Victoria Furtuna, a former anti-corruption prosecutor, who is included on the EU sanctions list for attempts to destabilize Moldova. Others promoted include Evghenia Gutul, the governor of Gagauzia, who is sanctioned by both the EU and U.S.; notorious oligarch Ilan Sor, who fled Moldova in 2019; and Ion Ceban, the mayor of Chisinau, allegedly supported by the FSB during his 2019 campaign.

The network also boosted figures from Romania, including George Simion, the leader of Romania’s Alliance for the Unity of Romanians, and Calin Georgescu, a former Romanian presidential candidate known for promoting Kremlin-aligned narratives and conspiracy theories. Read the full analysis here.

Unauthorised anti-government protest supported by oligarch Ilan Sor

Supporters of fugitive oligarch Ilan Sor set up tents on Aug. 16 on a platform at Chisinau Railway Station during an unauthorised anti-government protest by the pro-Russia “Victory” Bloc, forcing law enforcement to intervene, according to the local outlet Moldova1.

Sursa foto: Moldova1.md/Blocul „Victorie”/Telegram

The “Victory” Bloc, a formation launched by Sor in Moscow, published images showing several young people being taken away by police. The Police detained 69 people who came to Chisinau Railway Station to participate in the anti-government rally announced by Ilan Sor, and reportedly hoped to be paid by the oligarch for their efforts.

One of the TV stations close to Sor wrote on Telegram that the protesters arrived by train to hold a flash mob in support of Comrat governor Evghenia Gutul, who was sentenced in August to seven years in prison. Read the full report here.

Disinformation campaign orchestrated in Belarus

A disinformation campaign aimed at discrediting Moldova’s upcoming parliamentary election while supporting pro-Russian politician Igor Dodon took place between June and August 2025 in Belarus, according to Stopfals.md. 

sursa foto: Stopfals.md

An analysis of 54 YouTube videos on the channels of Belarusian state media revealed signs of foreign information manipulation and interference. Igor Dodon is featured in 20 of the videos and is portrayed as a “legitimate leader” through his visit to Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko. 

The videos sought to delegitimize Moldova’s democratic institutions through claims of “electoral fraud,” disputing the expected election results, and undermining trust in Moldova’s democratic institutions. They also stoke fears about rising electricity tariffs, blame economic challenges on the EU, and promote closer ties to Russia and Belarus as a viable solution.  Read the full analysis here.