Euronews' verification team identified a raft of online accounts planting unfounded claims about the government of President Maia Sandu.

Chișinău

Disinformation targeting Moldova's pro-European government is intensifying in the lead-up to the country's parliamentary elections. Analysts and European leaders have raised concerns that pro-Kremlin propaganda could influence the vote in favor of Moscow-friendly parties. 

False claims circulating online include allegations that Moldova is occupied by European governments, that NATO troops will be deployed to suppress dissent, and that joining the EU would drag Moldova into war. The Moldovan Ministry of Defence has denied these claims, describing them as attempts to instill fear and distrust. Experts also point to a Kremlin-backed bot network, Matryoshka, as a key driver of these online campaigns.

Online disinformation intensifies ahead of Moldovan elections

Disinformation intensifies ahead of the Moldovan parliamentary elections. Online disinformation targeting Moldova's pro-European government is intensifying weeks before the country votes in pivotal parliamentary elections. Analysts fear that pro-Kremlin propaganda could skew the vote in favour of Moscow-friendly parties, and European leaders are sounding the alarm. They say that Europeans want to prolong the war and that the EU oppresses the people. These are lies. Our verification team has been examining some of the misleading narratives circulating on social platforms aimed at undermining President Maya Sandu and her pro-EU ruling party. AI-generated videos on TikTok allege that Moldova is occupied by European governments and will only be liberated once the ruling party is unseated. On Telegram, pro-Kremlin groups are claiming that Moldova will face the same fate as its neighbour, Ukraine, and be dragged into war if it continues on its path to become a member of the European Union. The narrative is being amplified across other platforms like TikTok, with claims that the September vote is a choice between neutrality and joining Europe and NATO in a war against Russia. Others spreading are false claims that as many as 800 NATO soldiers could be deployed to Moldova in the run-up to the vote to suppress protesters and provide support to the ruling PAS party if it is defeated. But the Moldovan Ministry of Defence has denied the claim, describing it as part of a campaign to instil fear and distrust ahead of the elections. Experts say a Kremlin-backed network of bots, known as Matryoshka, is also actively working to undermine the vote and that its activities could intensify in the coming weeks.

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Breakdown