AI-driven disinformation flood reported ahead of Moldova's 2025 parliamentary election
Moldova's parliamentary election in September 2025 faced a reportedly coordinated campaign of AI-driven disinformation attributed to Russia, involving spoof websites, engagement farms, and AI bots targeting the pro-European ruling party. Moldovan authorities arrested 74 people as part of investigations into alleged Russian-backed plans to destabilize the country and incite riots.
What happened
Researchers tracked coordinated disinformation campaigns attributed to Russia ahead of Moldova's parliamentary election scheduled for September 2025, which were built on fresh infrastructure and heavy use of AI.
The campaigns employed spoof websites impersonating legitimate Western media, paid engagement farms in Africa, and AI bots deployed to flood comment sections deriding the pro-European Party of Action and Solidarity and the EU.
Moldovan police arrested 74 people in 250 raids as part of an investigation into an alleged Russia-backed plan to incite mass riots and destabilize the country.
Reported impact
The coordinated campaigns aimed to diminish support for the ruling pro-European Party of Action and Solidarity in a vote many view as a geopolitical choice between EU integration and Moscow's influence.
Moldovan President Maia Sandu warned that the election would determine whether Moldova becomes a stable democracy or whether Russia pulls the country away from Europe.
Index analysis
Researchers described the coordinated campaigns as marking a new phase in Russian influence operations, built on fresh infrastructure and heavy use of AI.
Moldovan authorities have long warned that Russia is conducting a hybrid war involving meddling in elections, disinformation campaigns, and illicitly funding pro-Russian parties to derail the country's path toward EU membership. Moscow has repeatedly denied meddling in Moldova.
Governance controls
Multiple online monitoring groups tracked the propaganda and disinformation campaigns. Reset Tech, a global not-for-profit monitoring digital threats to democracy and Russian online influence operations since 2022, investigated AI-generated sites.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.