Screenshot: The Insider
Does Moldovan President Maia Sandu want to take over Kaja Kallas’ position as the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy? Is Kaja Kallas skipping the EU-Moldova summit as punishment? These are the sensational claims spread by the disinformation network Matryoshka ahead of tomorrow’s EU-Moldova summit.
Propastop explains how these disinformation attacks operate and how they are intensifying ahead of Moldova’s parliamentary elections in September.
According to the investigative outlet The Insider, the latest Russian FIMI campaign is circulating a series of fake videos on social media. One such fabricated clip falsely claims that EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has abruptly refused to attend the summit due to a supposed major falling-out with President Maia Sandu. To increase the video’s credibility, it is presented as if it were an authentic news item published by The Insider. In reality, the EU will be represented at the summit as planned by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and the permanent President of the European Council, António Costa.
Fake Videos About “Female Rivalries”
Matryoshka’s fake accounts are also spreading the absurd claim that Maia Sandu is seeking to replace Kaja Kallas as the EU’s foreign affairs chief. In fact, top positions in EU institutions can only be held by representatives of EU member states. Moldova, despite its strong desire to join the EU, is not yet a member. Therefore, no matter how competent or pro-European she may be, the Moldovan president has no theoretical possibility of holding a post in the European Commission.
“This current attempt to sow discord between Kallas and Sandu comes just before the EU-Moldova summit taking place on July 4 in Chișinău,” The Insider wrote. “European officials view the summit as a form of ‘political endorsement’ of Sandu’s reformist agenda and as a show of support ahead of Moldova’s parliamentary elections on September 28.”
Rumors of a fictional rivalry between Sandu and Kallas have been circulated by the Matryoshka network since the end of May. This disinformation narrative complements other Kremlin-crafted attacks designed to undermine relations between the EU and Moldova.
Another fake video in the Matryoshka campaign is disguised as a Euronews report, falsely claiming that Romanian intelligence has warned of a “terror threat” at the summit. According to EUvsDisinfo, the French news outlet Le Point has also been falsely attributed with a claim that EU officials want Maia Sandu removed from office because she allegedly cannot lead Moldova toward Europe. As a reminder – Sandu was re-elected president last autumn for a second term, and she cannot be removed from office by Brussels or Washington.
Kaja Kallas has been a favorite target of Kremlin propaganda in Brussels since taking office, but currently, the main focus is the systematic discrediting of President Sandu. The Matryoshka network began its attacks against Moldova’s head of state in April, using false information to accuse her of corruption, abuse of power, and incompetence.
Matryoshka is a disinformation campaign that has been active since September 2023. In its first stage, a small number of social media accounts post fake information, mostly fabricated news stories. In the second stage, these fake news items are amplified by so-called “quote accounts” that appear to respond to posts by public figures, media outlets, and fact-checkers.
The fake content is often presented in the visual and editorial style of credible Western media outlets and institutions. The network previously focused mainly on spreading anti-Ukraine messages, attacking the reputations of well-known individuals, and promoting pro-Russian narratives. Now, with Moldova’s parliamentary elections approaching in September, Matryoshka and the broader Kremlin strategy are shifting their focus to this small Eastern European country.
Same Oligarch, New Illicit Financing Scheme
Already last autumn, Moldova’s presidential elections, held in two rounds, and a concurrent referendum on EU membership were subjected to a massive Kremlin hybrid attack. In addition to disinformation, the most influential tactic affecting the vote was the bribery of about 130,000 voters with payments of $60–100 per vote, orchestrated by exiled Moldovan oligarch Ilan Shor.
Four months ago, Shor launched a cryptocurrency called A7A5, a stablecoin pegged to the Russian ruble. With it, he is preparing to finance the next illegal vote-buying campaign in Moldova. Last year, Shor initially funded his voter-buying network by sending cash to Moldova and later by using an app linked to the Russian state-owned Promsvyazbank.
As Moldovan authorities have gradually shut down easier funding channels, Shor is now hoping to circumvent sanctions on ruble transactions through his cryptocurrency. If the funds are transferred in crypto to, for example, Romania, Moldovans can withdraw them there in local currency or euros. As last year, Shor is developing the crypto project in partnership with Promsvyazbank. According to the Financial Times, over $9 billion worth of transactions have already been processed through the new token in just four months.
The online journal Moldova Matters summarizes the issue as follows:
“We can conclude that A7A5 has three main objectives:
- To enable circumvention of sanctions, cross-border transactions, and acquisition of U.S. dollars outside the traditional banking system.
- To generate profit for Ilan Shor and PSB Bank.
- To create a shadow fund to support Shor’s political manipulations in Moldova.”
From the Kremlin’s perspective, this is an all-round victory: if the scheme works, they gain a powerful mechanism to evade sanctions. But even if it remains small in scale, it still creates a specialized fund for influencing elections in Moldova.
