Ukraine intelligence shows Moscow working to supplant Moldova pro-Western government

Ukrainian intelligence has found that the Kremlin is behind some of the efforts to subvert the pro-Western Moldovan government.

Documents reviewed by The Washington Post show that Russian politicians have allied themselves with anarchist forces in Moldova including Ilan Shor, whom one political figure called “a worthy long-term partner” in Russia’s efforts in the country.

Shor organized a demonstration of thousands of Moldovans against their government in September despite being exiled to Israel following fraud and money laundering convictions.

The Post found that Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) refers to Shor as “the young one” and that the security arm of the government has provided massive financial support to Moldovan figures who are more aligned with Russia than the West.

The Treasury Department announced on Wednesday that it would sanction Shor and other Moldovan officials working closely with the Russian government.

“Today, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) took action to counter the Government of the Russian Federation’s (GoR) persistent malign influence campaigns and systemic corruption in Moldova by imposing sanctions on nine individuals and 12 entities,” the department wrote.

In addition to Shor, OFAC sanctioned Vladimir Plathotniuc, a former member of the Moldovan parliament who manipulated law enforcement, electoral and judicial sectors during his time in office.

Russian lawyer Igor Yuryevich Chayka was sanctioned for working with the Russian government to develop plans to overthrow Moldovan President Maia Sandu, along with his associates Ivan Aleksandrovich Zavorotnyi and Aleksei Valeryevich Troshin.

Sanctions were applied to former FSB officer Yuriy Igorevich Gudilin and associates Olga Yurievna Grak and Leonid Mikhailovich Gonin for their attempts to influence the outcome of the Moldovan elections in 2020 and 2021.

Sara Lvovna Shor, a Russian pop singer and the wife of Ilan Shor, was also sanctioned.

“The sanctions imposed today expose not only Russia’s covert strategy in Moldova, but also demonstrate how corruption undermines the rule of law,” said Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian E. Nelson in a statement.