
Russia is conducting a large-scale operation to destabilize Europe, with the aim of weakening NATO and the European Union from within by 2026. According to the New York Times, Moscow has chosen Moldova as a testing ground for this strategy.
Western intelligence sources say Russian President Vladimir Putin outlined the plans during a closed-door meeting with Russian military leaders, shortly after he publicly accused the West of "fomenting hysteria" about the threat posed by Russia.
According to the report, the Kremlin's current hierarchy of priorities contains two main objectives: the invasion of Ukraine and the establishment of control over Moldova.
Moscow aims to take control of southern Ukraine to create a "land bridge" to internationally unrecognized Transnistria and provide a foothold from which to exert pressure on NATO.
New York Times reporters have reviewed a large number of documents and spoken to intelligence officials in the United States and Europe. According to them, Russian military intelligence, the GRU, has organized training camps for young Moldovans in Serbia, Bosnia and near Moscow.
Participants are trained to break through police cordons and organize mass riots, to produce homemade explosives and set buildings on fire, as well as to use drones equipped to drop explosives.
Another element of the operation, according to the report, was large-scale vote buying, led by Moldovan businessman Ilan Shor under the supervision of Russian official Sergei Kiriyenko.
More than 150,000 people were involved in the network, and just before the 2024 referendum, activists were paid nearly $20 million. Orthodox priests were also involved in the campaign, for payments of $1,000.
The climax of the Russian operation came during Moldova's parliamentary elections on September 28, 2025. Russian hackers penetrated the systems of the Central Election Commission, while trained operatives were preparing for violent actions.
Operations by Moldovan authorities, with hundreds of checks and arrests, prevented mass unrest, while the pro-Western party supported by Maia Sandu won over 50% of the vote.
However, according to intelligence officials, the Kremlin has not backed down and is preparing for a long-term destabilization campaign. Moscow publicly denies interfering in Moldova's internal affairs and attempting to undermine the West.