A coordinated network of fake accounts linked to the Russian state has launched a targeted disinformation campaign ahead of the upcoming EU summit in Moldova, with fabricated videos impersonating well-known Western media outlets. The campaign, centred around undermining Moldovan President Maia Sandu, was uncovered by the bot-tracking project Bot Blocker and reported by The Insider.
The operation is believed to be run by the Kremlin-affiliated “Matryoshka” network, which has previously been linked to information warfare across Eastern Europe.
Fabricated media and false claims
According to investigators, one of the most prominent examples of this campaign involves a video mimicking the visual style and branding of The Insider, a respected investigative outlet. The video falsely claims that European Commission Vice-President Kaja Kallas has cancelled her trip to the 4 July summit in Chișinău due to internal disputes with President Sandu and fears of losing her post.
Other falsified content began circulating on 23 June and directly references the EU leaders’ summit. One such video, presented as if published by Euronews, claims that Romania’s intelligence services have warned of a possible terrorist threat during the event — a statement for which no credible source or confirmation exists.
A third clip, made to look like a segment from French magazine Le Point, suggests EU officials are planning to remove Maia Sandu from office, citing dissatisfaction with her performance and alleged failure to implement European values in Moldova.
A familiar strategy ahead of key summits
The coordinated effort to spread fake news about the EU summit reflects a broader pattern observed by analysts monitoring Russian-linked influence operations. According to researchers at Bot Blocker, these operations tend to intensify ahead of key diplomatic events, particularly those seen as advancing European integration in regions of strategic interest to Moscow.
Sandu, a pro-European reformist, has become a frequent target of Kremlin-backed attacks since taking office. Moldova’s stated intention to pursue EU membership and align more closely with Western structures has drawn growing scrutiny from Russian officials and affiliated media networks.
Regional stability and democratic resilience at stake
Disinformation campaigns of this kind, observers warn, are not merely domestic nuisances but present systemic risks to regional security and the credibility of European institutions. By attempting to delegitimise both the summit and Moldova’s leadership, such efforts seek to fracture alliances, undermine trust in democratic processes, and stir instability near the EU’s eastern border.
Policy analysts from several European think tanks argue that continued exposure and coordinated response — both technical and diplomatic — will be essential to countering these influence operations.
They also note that Moldova, a non-EU country hosting a major European summit, is a symbolic target in itself: a frontline in what many see as a battle over the future direction of Europe’s eastern neighbourhood.
While the fake videos have already been flagged by fact-checking groups, their distribution on social media underscores the persistence of such tactics — and the importance of resilient information defences ahead of politically sensitive gatherings.
