- Several sources in Moldova spread Russian propaganda, including the president, Russian media rebroadcast in Moldova, pro-Russian political parties and NGOs, and the Orthodox Church. - Six analyzed online media sources with pro-Kremlin stances publish disinformation stories promoting ideas such as Europe dissolving, Moldova being unable to decide its own path, and NATO preparing nuclear war against Russia. - Common manipulation techniques used include distorting facts, promoting conspiracy theories against the West, artificially opposing Eastern and Western values, and using pejorative language against opponents of pro-Russian viewpoints.

1. Information warfare
in the Internet.
Exposing and countering
pro-Kremlin disinformation
in the CEEC
Case study: Moldova
Kiev, Ucraine
24 February 2017The project is co-financed
by the International Visegrad Fund

2. Sources of influence and,
frequently, sources of Russian
propaganda in Moldova, are:
- President of Republic of Moldova;

3. Fake “news” about the pro-European
candidate Maia Sandu:

4. Sources of influence and,
frequently, sources of Russian
propaganda in Moldova, are:
- President of Republic of Moldova;
- Several mass-media institutions from Russian Federation which
are re-transmitted or re-broadcast in Moldova;
- Several new media institutions and socializing networks;
- Communication sources of some political parties and NGOs,
supported or financed from Russia;
- Other pro-Russian interest groups.
- Orthodox Church (Metropolitan Church of Moldova,
subordinated to the Russian Patriarch);

5. Analysed online media:
- Actualitati.md (web portal of Socialist party)
- Gagauzinfo.md (web portal from Gagauz autonomy)
- Kp.md (web page of “Komsomolskaia Pravda” Russian
newspaper)
- Ntv.md (web page of NTV Moldova, branch of Russian NTV
channel)
- Pan.md (web page of Russian language “Panorama”
newspaper)
- Sputnik.md (branch of Sputnik international)

6. Inoculated ideas:
"Europe soon to dissolve“
"Chisinau Government is ruled from outside,
being unable to decide by itself“
"NATO prepares a nuclear war against Russia,
and Moldova could turn into this war",
"Moldova is likely to repeat Ukraine’s fate if the
country’s leadership not re-orients to Russia ",
"Moldova’s adherence to EU is impossible, and
the Association Agreement is against the
country’s interests".

9. The main manipulation
techniques used in the articles:
- distortion, speculation and misinterpretation of facts,
denaturation of reality (ex.: ”the government of Romania is
no more able to make independent decisions”);
- promotion of the conspiracy theory (“conspiracy of the
West, the US and NATO against Moldova”), the assaults to
country’s sovereignty “as happened in Ukraine and
Romania”;
- artificial opposition of values and holidays of Eastern /
Russian with the Western / European;
- presentation of opinions only of those experts who are in
favour of a specific viewpoint regarding the topic discussed;
- use of pejorative language elements to discredit and insult
opponents (ex.: “those who believe in European integration
of Moldova are naive and idiots”);
- premeditated categorization of protagonists in ”good” and
”bad”.

10. False and distorted ideas:
“Only the naive and the idiots agree with the
utopian idea of Moldova’s European
integration”;
“The US and EU Commissioners and
ambassadors promote homosexual
demonstrations”;
“Moldova will be great together with Russia, or
will not be at all!”;
”Moldova is a puppet-country, a pawn in the
game of the US and the EU against Russia”;
“NATO will transform Moldova into a dominion”;
“Russia is consistent in its fight against terrorism,
unlike the US”...

11. Recent examples:

12. Thank you
for your attention!