Located between Romania and Ukraine, Moldova is an EU candidate country and relies on external support for its security and economic development. While Russia wages a kinetic war against Ukraine, it conducts a hybrid war against Moldova. Russia’s objectives are the same in both countries: the overthrow of pro-Western governments, the reversal of the European integration process, and the restoration of Russian political control and great power hegemony in its neighbourhood.
The methods of attack in Moldova include the use of political parties and corrupt politicians as proxy disruptors, the spread of disinformation and propaganda, corruption, cyber-attacks, vandalism, and sabotage. Despite limited resources and weak institutional capacity, Moldovan authorities are pushing back in innovative ways.
Looking ahead, increased support from the EU’s institutions and member states is essential. The EU has a vested interest in helping Moldova defend its democracy and Western orientation, as well as in preventing the country from becoming a launchpad for Russian hybrid attacks – and potentially military aggression – in both the western and eastern directions.
SCEEUS provides analysis and policy recommendations on Moldova, with a particular focus on the country’s resilience against Russian hybrid warfare, its internal reforms and electoral processes, internal tensions, the Transnistrian conflict, the EU accession process, and its external relations.
- The Russian Hybrid threat toolbox in Moldova: economic, political and social dimensions, by Kamill Całus, Hybrid CoE
- Walking the tightrope towards the EU: Moldova’s vulnerabilities amid war in Ukraine, by Bob Dean and Zweers Wouter, Clingendael
- Moscow Sees Transnistria Gas Crisis as an Opportunity to Wreak Havoc in Moldova, by Vladimir Solovyov, The Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center
Untangling the Moldovan Energy Crisis