Russia Blamed for Moldova's Disinformation Crisis
Experts at a recent forum in Moldova unanimously pointed towards Russia as the sole source of widespread disinformation campaigns targeting the country.
They warned of intensifying Russian propaganda, particularly ahead of the upcoming presidential election.
Dionis Cenușă, analyst at Expert-Grup, presented an analysis highlighting Moldova's vulnerability to misinformation despite not being directly involved in the Ukraine war. "We see the Russian Federation attempting to justify its war through fabricated narratives about protecting Russian minorities," Cenușă stated, outlining other key disinformation tactics: fear mongering regarding Western sanctions and inciting destabilisation in the breakaway Transnistrian region.
Nerijus Maliukevičius, a Lithuanian expert in international relations, shared his country's experience in combating Russian propaganda. Lithuania implemented various measures following the 2014 Crimean annexation, including banning hate-inciting and disinformation-spreading Russian channels. "The information bubble shrunk gradually, though some initially sought alternative access online," Maliukevičius noted.
Moldova has also taken action, blocking dozens of websites and 12 television channels affiliated with Russia for spreading war-related disinformation in the past two years. President Maia Sandu established the Center for Strategic Communication and Combating Disinformation in 2022 to further safeguard the information space.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
