"Russian-Linked Forces Confirmed to Interfere in Moldovan Elections... Employing Fake News and Polls"

BBC Investigation... "Training on Telegram to Post False Claims, Paid 240,000 Won Monthly for Social Media Posts"

 Election tents set up on a street in Chisinau, the capital of Moldova [EPA Yonhap News file photo. Redistribution and database prohibited]

 A secret organization funded by Russia has been interfering in the elections of Eastern European countries, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) reported on the 21st (local time).

The BBC reported that its undercover investigation revealed a secret network that offered money to post pro-Russian propaganda and fake news unfavorable to the pro-European ruling party ahead of the Moldovan general election on the 28th.

Those involved in this network were paid to secretly identify and conduct so-called "opinion polls" among supporters of pro-Russian opposition parties.

The opinion polls, conducted under the guise of non-existent organizations, were illegal in themselves, yet results implying a defeat for the ruling party were published online.

However, official polls indicated that President Maia Sandu's Action and Solidarity Party (PAS) was ahead of the pro-Russian Electoral Bloc of Communists and Socialists (BEP).

The BBC reported discovering a link between the secret network in question and Moldovan oligarch Ilan Shor.

Ilan Shor is a pro-Russian businessman and politician who has been sanctioned by the United States and the United Kingdom for acting in Russia's interests. He is currently in Moscow, living in hiding.

This network was also found to be connected to a non-profit organization called 'Eurasia'.

Eurasia, which is also linked to Shor, has been subject to sanctions from the EU, UK, and US on suspicion of offering bribes to Moldovan citizens to vote against the EU accession referendum last year.

The referendum at the time narrowly passed with 50.35% in favor.

The BBC infiltrated the network through a Telegram link provided by a whistleblower and confirmed how it operated.

Thirty-five people, including reporters, went undercover in secret online seminars and received preparatory training for agent activities on topics such as "How to move beyond the kitchen and become a national leader." Training also included how to use ChatGPT to create social media posts. They were reportedly tested regularly on what they learned.

Subsequently, they received tasks from a coordinator from the Transnistria region in eastern Moldova, who stated they would be paid 3,000 Moldovan lei (approximately 240,000 won) monthly for posting on TikTok and Facebook.

It was also stated that this money would come from Promsvyazbank (PSB), a Russian bank, which is also a shareholder in Shor's companies.

The instructions given to the BBC reporter included false claims, such as the current Moldovan government planning to rig the election results and President Sandu promoting child trafficking.

The BBC reported that this network consists of at least 90 TikTok accounts, some of which posed as media outlets.

Since January, they have uploaded thousands of videos, accumulating a total of 23 million views and 860,000 likes. This is a significant number in Moldova, a country of 2.4 million people.

Viorel Cernauteanu, head of the Moldovan Police, told the BBC, "Last year, the focus of (Ilan Shor's) activities was money. This year, the focus is on spreading disinformation."

Moldova, located between Ukraine and Romania, is a small but strategically important country to both Europe and Russia.

Moldova, formerly part of the Soviet Union, gained independence in 1991, but political instability has persisted due to continuous Russian interference. Yonhap News