Russian efforts to influence Moldova’s Oct. 20 elections have reached unprecedented levels, with Moscow allegedly spending up to hundreds of millions of dollars on buying votes, pumping out AI-generated deep fake videos, and boosting the campaigns of Kremlin-favored candidates.

The blitz illustrates the lengths Russia will go to keep the tiny, former Soviet Republic within its sphere of influence. Sandwiched between Ukraine and NATO-member Romania, Moscow is working to upend Moldova’s efforts to distance itself from Russia and build closer ties with democratic governments in the European Union and the U.S.

“This is a very clear message for Moldova and the international community that they [Russia] will not abandon Moldova,” said Ion Manole, director of Promo-LEX, a democracy and human rights organization based in the capital Chisinau.

“They will try to destabilize, they will try to do what they want against Moldova because Moldova is important for them to fight against Ukraine. If they can’t control Moldova, at least to destabilize, to make a huge chaos here, this will be an important contribution for their attacks in Ukraine.”

The Hill traveled to Moldova at the beginning of October on a four-day tour organized by the German Marshall Fund, the nonpartisan policy organization that promotes closer ties between Europe and the U.S. The group organized interviews with Moldovan government officials, opposition candidates, think tanks and journalists to provide insight into the stakes and tensions around the election.

Moldovans will go to the polls for both the presidential election and to vote on a referendum to change their constitution by adding accession to the European Union as an imperative. Moldova, with a Romanian-speaking majority and Russian-speaking minority, is about the size of Maryland, with 2.5 million people, and an estimated one million in its diaspora.

‘Moldova is the unfortunate testing ground’

Russia’s goal, according to Moldovan government officials and civil society watchdogs, is to dampen popular support for European integration and tank the re-election of the country’s incumbent pro-European president, Maia Sandu, who appears likely to win.

The 2024 campaign is viewed as a dress rehearsal for Moldovan parliamentary elections in 2025, where Moscow’s goal is to bolster pro-Russian parties in the government.

“Moldova is the unfortunate testing ground in this hybrid war. We’re building resilience against their lies, election meddling, sowing social discord, and I’m proud our people refuse to give in to the hatred they spread,” said Moldova Prime Minister Dorin........

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