Chișinău alleges Russian-affiliated paramilitary training Moldovans for government overthrow

Hundreds of Moldovan citizens have reportedly undergone training in Russia, Serbia, and Bosnia with the goal of toppling the government in the Republic of Moldova, according to Chișinău authorities. The individuals were trained for street battles with law enforcement and for inciting mass movements using drones armed with explosives and incendiary devices. The instructors for these sessions were Russian operatives linked to the Wagner Group (a Russian paramilitary organization known for its operations in conflict zones) and other affiliated factions.

On Thursday, heads of Moldova’s security institutions revealed during a press conference that hundreds of Moldovan citizens had participated in training camps in Russia, Serbia, and Bosnia-Herzegovina with the objective of instigating street movements aimed at overturning the constitutional order.

Viorel Cernăuțeanu, Chief of the National Police; Alexandru Musteața, Director of the Information and Security Service (SIS); and interim Prosecutor-General Victor Furtună shared that these training camps were attended by well-known instructors from Russian paramilitary groups, such as Wagner and Ferma.

The financier of these operations is reportedly Ilan Shor, a Moldovan oligarch currently residing in Moscow after receiving a final conviction for corruption in Moldova. Shor is now considered the primary channel through which Russia seeks to destabilize Moldova.

These revelations from Moldovan authorities come just three days before Moldova’s presidential elections and a pro-European Union referendum.

Key Statements from the Three Officials:

• The Prosecutor’s Office is conducting investigations in multiple criminal cases regarding potential incitement to mass disorder. So far, approximately 100 searches have been carried out, resulting in four arrests.
• Since June, Moldova’s institutions have documented two aspects of attempted destabilization, one of which is connected to the Russian Federation. Beginning in June, teams of around 20 people at a time – totaling over 300 individuals – regularly traveled to a training base in Krasnaia, Russia. These individuals received training on methods and technical procedures for protest actions, provocation tactics, police confrontation strategies, weapon extraction from law enforcement, and techniques for quick withdrawal from crowds. Regular training sessions were held for these participants.
• Authorities were able to identify and investigate individuals trained in Russia. In recent days, they seized more than 1.6 million lei (local currency) in cash, found on individuals involved in destabilization efforts planned for upcoming protests against alleged election fraud or the disqualification of certain candidates.
• The Russian training camps were reportedly disguised as cultural-artistic events but were actually focused on training individuals to incite mass disorder.
• Information on attempts to destabilize the constitutional order has been corroborated by the SIS, which provided support in investigating a separate group of individuals.

Since May 2024, Ilan Shor has funded the transportation of young Moldovans to Russia under the guise of the “Eurasia” NGO. Some of these individuals also received training in Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina in destabilization tactics under the supervision of agents from Russian paramilitary groups like Wagner and Ferma.

Training Program Details:

The program reportedly covered tactics for provocation, crowd psychology, physical confrontations with law enforcement, and techniques for handling explosive drones and incendiary devices.

Among the action coordinators is a person named Constantin Potiomkin, reportedly affiliated with the Wagner Group.

SIS has identified 11 foreign nationals who provided training to these young Moldovans in Serbia and Bosnia.

The type of training points to offensive actions using drones and pyrotechnic devices aimed at creating panic. Four Moldovans who participated in these training programs have already been detained.

At present, authorities assess the risk level for destabilizing movements as low.