The Mayor of Chișinău intends to sue the Romanian Foreign Minister for statements she made after he was denied access to Romania and the Schengen Area. The „Victorie” political bloc, controlled by Ilan Șor, will not appear on parliamentary election ballots, and 16 television stations from the Plahotniuc-Șor group have been shut down by authorities in the last two years. The Matrioska disinformation network continues to propagate falsehoods about the current government.
Chișinău Mayor Wants to Sue Romania’s Foreign Minister
Ion Ceban announced that he has asked his legal team to analyze „how to take legal action for the nonsense she spoke publicly” against Romanian Foreign Minister Oana Țoiu, as reported by TV8.
Chișinău Mayor Ion Ceban was banned from Romania and the entire Schengen Area for 5 years. The announcement was made on July 9 by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bucharest, which stated that the decision was taken for „national security considerations.”
Subsequently, Foreign Minister Oana Țoiu explained that Ion Ceban’s ban was applied due to his connections with Russia and was decided after thorough documentation.
However, the Chișinău mayor denied any links with Moscow.
Read the full news here.
„Victorie” Bloc’s Registration for Parliamentary Elections Rejected
The Central Electoral Commission (CEC) decided to reject the registration request of the „Victorie” Bloc, affiliated with former MP Ilan Șor, for participation in the parliamentary elections on September 28, during its session on July 19, Ziarul de Gardă reports.
Protests by „Victorie” Bloc supporters took place in front of the Commission’s headquarters throughout the session.
Among the CEC’s reasons for rejecting the request is that the bloc is considered a veiled continuation of the activity of the Șor Party, which was declared unconstitutional. Furthermore, Ilan Șor was directly involved in the formation and promotion of the bloc, publicly announcing his intention to change political power „at any cost,” an action interpreted as an attempt against the constitutional order.
On July 6, leaders of several parties close to the fugitive former MP Ilan Șor met again in Moscow, where they announced their plans to participate in the September parliamentary elections and declared their dream of „unification with the Russian Federation.”
Read the full article here.
TV Stations Affiliated with the Plahotniuc-Șor Group Left Without Licenses
In the last two years, 16 television stations have lost their broadcasting licenses due to dubious funding and affiliation with two fugitive politicians, Ilan Șor and Vladimir Plahotniuc, in the context of a wave of Russian disinformation and propaganda.
Sursa foto: cusens.md
To explain the funding scheme of these TV stations and their affiliation with the fugitive politicians, the publication CU SENS analyzed reports from the Council for the Promotion of Investment Projects of National Importance, a governmental body with new powers to verify the origin of funds in investments crucial for the country’s security.
The investigations and sanctions applied by Moldovan authorities have directly or indirectly targeted a considerable number of television stations, with most losing their broadcasting licenses. Out of approximately 60 television stations broadcasting in the country, almost a quarter have lost their broadcasting licenses, with the majority being media outlets affiliated with Vladimir Plahotniuc and Ilan Șor.
Read the full investigation here.
Operation Matrioska
The Kremlin-backed Matrioska disinformation network launched a new flash operation directly targeting Moldovan President Maia Sandu, ahead of the EU-Moldova Summit in Chișinău on July 4, 2025.
Sursa foto: EU vs Disinfo
Matrioska is a disinformation operation that began in September 2023. It operates in two coordinated phases. Its primary goal is to post false content that is then coordinatedly distributed on X (formerly Twitter), in the reply section of posts from media institutions, public figures, and fact-checking organizations in over 60 countries. Matrioska operators contact their targets directly on X and via email to ask them to investigate the false content.
According to an investigation by The Insider, part of the latest campaign is a clip falsely claiming that European Commission Vice-President Kaja Kallas abruptly refused to attend the summit due to a mysterious and profound disagreement with Sandu.
The same network is also spreading the false idea that Sandu is trying to replace Kallas as head of the EU diplomatic service.
More details here.
Despre autor: Marionela Toma
