The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Moldovan diplomat over ”media reports” concerning the alleged deployment of Ukrainian F-16 fighter jets on Moldovan territory. Pro-Russian Telegram channels started spreading these false claims at the end of July. Disinfo has conducted a detailed analysis of how this misinformation operates.
Creating the Falsehood
Russian Senator Vladimir Djabarov received this task. On July 26, ten days before President Zelensky announced the arrival of F-16 fighter jets in Ukraine, the Moldovan version of Sputnik (blocked by authorities for propaganda and false information) and Telegram channels within the same network began quoting Djabarov.
“After understanding, Myasorubka and the Moldova Vagon channels claim that Moldova serves not only as a hub for civilian and military aircraft but also as a base or landing airport for F-16s, which will soon become part of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.”
Spreading the False Claim
The narrative about “stationing F-16 aircraft at Moldovan airfields” started to spread again on August 4, when Ukraine officially announced the arrival of the aircraft promised by their Western partners.
RIA Novosti and Sputnik reported that someone saw the first American F-16 fighter jet in the sky over Odesa, which has since departed for Moldova. The network’s other channels continued to spread the ‘news,’ including the ‘Gagauzskaya Respublika,’ ‘Myasorubka’, ‘Moldavian Vagon,’ and ‘Komsomolskaya Pravda.’
Disinfo sources claim that last year, these groups broke away from the Socialists’ control and began actively promoting the actions of the fugitive oligarch Shor and pro-Kremlin narratives. They also highlight the activities of the Eurasia ANO (related to Shor), which regularly brings students and young people to Moscow.
To understand which other Telegram channels connect to the fugitive oligarch and Russian disinformation, you only need to check Shor’s channel using the Tgstat tool.
Last month, Shor’s posts have been cited or mentioned over 1,500 times. Nearly 40% of these mentions come from a selection of 2 to 11 channels, suggesting the existence of a dedicated network that regularly reposts Shor’s content to increase its visibility and attract subscribers.
They mainly mention channels with audiences primarily in Russia, including: ”Moldavian Vagon,” ”Meat Grinder News,” ”Pridnestrovets,” ”Gagauzskaya Respublika,” and others.
Disinfo covered the last two in this analysis. These channels spread false news, such as claims that Foreign Minister Mihai Popsoi had assured Ukraine that Moldova would extradite Ukrainian military-age men who had fled.
“Pridnistrovets” and “Gagauzskaya Respublika” are two Telegram channels with inflated audiences. These channels aimed to cover events in these regions but primarily spread Russian propaganda, disinformation, and false news.
Additionally, the analysis revealed that at least ten channels, which have reposted Shor’s publications more than 4,500 times, raise questions about audience quality. Their ETV (engagement through views) index is below 15% to 5%. Experts believe that such low figures indicate an inflated audience.
A Recent Example
Ahead of the fall elections and the referendum on Moldova’s EU accession, new channels like these are emerging. For instance, two months ago, the Telegram channel ”Stop EU Moldova” appeared. The creators claim that the EU is forcing Moldova to buy expensive ”European electricity” (despite Chisinau purchasing 80% of its electricity from Transnistria at 60 MWh), that Moldova will face inflation increases in the EU, and that 2024 will be the year when “Romania will swallow Moldova.”
Disinfo analyzed the channel’s publications: out of over 4,000 subscribers, only about 200, or even fewer, are genuine. Since June 30, its reach has surged dramatically by tens of times, but at the same time, posts are rarely reposted and only by pro-Russian channels (not just from Moldova).
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