The Russian disinformation network Matryoshka is launching a campaign targeting the Republic of Moldova for the first time. The Russian publication The Insider reports that bots accuse President Maia Sandu of corruption and repression.
Users on social media platforms such as Twitter (X) and Bluesky post videos that imitate the format of global news organizations or academic institutions. These videos claim Maia Sandu won the elections through propaganda campaigns and is now cracking down on her opponents. The project “Bot Blocker” informed The Insider about this disinformation campaign.
The Insider also reports that one video in French falsely presents itself as a lecture by a French university professor. In it, the speaker accuses Maia Sandu of political repression for Gagauzia’s governor arrest, Evghenia Gutul, who is suspected of vote-buying and illegally funding the former pro-Kremlin Shor Party. After her detention, Gutul appealed to Russian President Vladimir Putin to pressure Moldovan authorities into releasing her.
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Some of these videos also mention former head of the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office, Veronica Dragalin, who resigned in February this year. According to the videos, Dragalin allegedly plans to send evidence to 300 European media outlets claiming that Sandu accepted bribes and won the presidential election through fraud.
Dragalin has not commented on these allegations. She resigned from her position because she opposed a proposed law. The law aimed to merge the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office with the Prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime and Special Cases. Additionally, a disinformation campaign has used her image on a fake La Tribune magazine cover, which was circulated by Matryoshka.
In addition to accusations of corruption and repression, the videos featuring supposed university professors promote typical Kremlin propaganda narratives. They claim that Maia Sandu is part of the LGBT community and that under her leadership, Moldova’s “traditional values” will inevitably be replaced by “non-traditional” ones.