Former Sputnik Moldova editor used Claude to generate disinformation about President Sandu
Anthropic reported that a former editor at Sputnik Moldova used its Claude AI system to translate Romanian and Moldovan news and political statements into Russian-language disinformation attacking President Maia Sandu ahead of the September 2025 parliamentary elections. The translated content was published across Russian state media and amplified to create false verification loops.
What happened
A former editor-in-chief of Sputnik Moldova used Claude, Anthropic's AI chatbot, to translate news articles and statements from Romanian and Moldovan public discourse into Russian, according to a September 10, 2026 Anthropic report on misuse of its AI.
The translated material included false and defamatory claims about President Maia Sandu, such as accusations that she headed a dictatorial regime. Once translated to Russian, the articles were published on Telegram channels of Sputnik Moldova and RIA Novosti, then amplified by networks of Russian and Moldovan publications to create false verification loops, giving the appearance that claims had been independently confirmed by multiple sources.
Reported impact
The disinformation campaign occurred in 2025, before Moldova's September 28, 2025 parliamentary elections. One post generated with Claude and published by Sputnik Moldova reportedly accumulated 2,000 views. Over 1,700 messages about President Sandu were posted on Sputnik Moldova's Telegram channel from February 2025 onwards, including defamatory content published two days before the elections.
Index analysis
Anthropic stated it could not determine what portion of the output from these outlets was processed through its AI. The report noted that Claude was used to systematically convert already-circulating public statements—including news, opinion polls, and opposition politicians' social media posts—into Russian-language propaganda materials.
Governance controls
Anthropic reported that it closed the accounts involved in the misuse. Sputnik Moldova has been blocked in Moldova since February 2022 by the Information and Security Service, which cited incitement to hatred and war; five additional sites linked to the outlet were blocked in March 2023.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.