The Russian disinformation network Matryoshka has launched its first large-scale campaign aimed at Moldova. Videos mimicking the style of global media outlets or academic institutions have begun circulating on platforms such as X (formerly Twitter) and Bluesky, according to the Bot Blocker project (@antibot4navalny), which shared its findings with The Insider. These videos allege that Moldovan President Maia Sandu’s victory in the November 2024 election was achieved thanks to her campaign’s propaganda efforts, and that since winning reelection she has engaged in the repression of her political opponents.
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Aside from accusations of corruption and pressure on political opponents, the videos featuring “university professors” include standard Kremlin propaganda narratives. One claims that President Sandu is a member of the LGBTQ community and that under her leadership, “non-traditional values” in Moldova will inevitably displace “traditional” ones. Another video alleges that Sandu plans to follow “Ukraine’s example” by seeking control over the Orthodox Church — specifically, by transferring the Chișinău Diocese from the Russian Orthodox Church to its Romanian counterpart. According to the video’s creators, this would be a step toward the full unification of Moldova with Romania.
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A total of ten videos have been released so far — four disguised as content from major media outlets and six as faux academic lectures — along with one fake magazine cover. According to the Bot Blocker project, only one previous fake video about Moldova linked to the Matryoshka network had been identified. That video, circulated in June 2024 in Romanian, was styled as a public service announcement supposedly shown in online cinemas. It promoted tolerance toward people with disabilities and LGBTQ individuals, with the intended effect of frightening viewers and turning them against “European” values.
Despite the Kremlin’s disinformation efforts, Sandu won the presidential election last November with 55.35% in the second round of voting. But that’s not the end of the story. Parliamentary elections are scheduled for September 2025, and Alexandru Musteață, head of Moldova’s Information and Security Service (SIS), has already warned that Russia may attempt to interfere in them.
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