Moldova Archives - Robert Lansing Institute

Russia’s Passportization of Transnistria: A Hidden Mobilization Reserve for the Kremlin’s Future Wars

Russia’s Passport Expansion in Transnistria: A Hybrid Mobilization Tool and a Potential Prelude to Regional Escalation President of the Republic of Moldova Maia Sandu sharply criticized Vladimir Putin’s decree simplifying the acquisition…

May 18, 2026Moldova, Russia, Transnistria

Conflict Intelligence ops

Russia’s “Ukraine Playbook” in Armenia: Likelihood, Triggers, Actors, and Scenarios

A full-scale Russian invasion of Armenia “like Ukraine 2022” is less likely in the near term because Armenia is geographically constrained, is not Russia’s immediate borderland in the same way Ukraine is, and would risk…

January 21, 2026Armenia, Baltic, Moldova, Russia

Conflict Geopolitics Intelligence ops National Security Warfare

From Warnings to Warfare: Russia’s Hybrid Offensive Against Moldova’s Westward Turn”

The press secretary of the Russian president, Dmitry Peskov, told the Russian state agency TASS—an outlet often used by Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) for cover operations—that “if Moldova continues its confrontational course…

October 13, 2025Moldova, Russia

Democracy Governance

Moldova’s Parliamentary Vote: What Russia Does Next—and Why Dismantling Pro-Russia Networks Matters

Moldova’s pro-EU Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) won the September 28, 2025 parliamentary elections, retaining a single-party majority (about 55/101 seats). The result defied months of Russian interference—disinformation, cyber pressure, clerical/NGO channels, and…

October 1, 2025Moldova, Russia

Democracy Governance Intelligence ops

Russian-Backed Election Destabilization in Moldova – Intelligence Brief

Parliamentary elections in Moldova are expected to be accompanied by a very high level of violence orchestrated by Russian intelligence, using mercenaries trained in Serbia. In light of this, we…

September 27, 2025Moldova, Russia, Serbia

Democracy Intelligence ops National Security

Ballots and Provocations: Moscow’s Election Gambit in Moldova

Less than a week before parliamentary elections, Moldovan authorities conducted 250 searches targeting more than 100 people amid suspicions that Russia is attempting to destabilize the country and sway the…

September 23, 2025Moldova, Russia

Geopolitics Governance Intelligence ops

Building a Fifth Column: Russia’s Shift in Moldova’s Political Landscape”

Our earlier assessments are confirmed: the principal decision-making center and coordinator of Russian state bodies and private individuals involved in interfering in Moldova’s parliamentary elections is the Presidential Administration of the…

September 7, 2025Kiriyenko, Moldova, Russia

Governance Intelligence ops

The Consolidation of Pro-Russian Forces in Moldova: Implications for the 2025 Elections

Recent developments in Moldova indicate a significant realignment within the country’s pro-Russian political spectrum. Formerly fragmented forces have now coalesced into a unified electoral bloc, potentially reshaping the political landscape…

July 23, 2025Moldova, Russia

Democracy Governance Intelligence ops

Moldova’s 2025 Elections: A Battleground for Influence Between Democracy and Kremlin Interference

Moldova’s 2025 elections are not only a test of democratic resilience but a geopolitical fault line. Russia is positioned to exploit voter fatigue, regional divisions, and political fragmentation. A robust…

July 10, 2025Moldova, Russia

Geopolitics Intelligence ops Propaganda and Disinformation

Viktoria Fortuna’s Territorial Claims on Ukrainian Budjak: A Kremlin-Linked Challenge to Regional Stability

Viktoria Fortuna, a rising far-right populist figure in Moldova, has sparked political alarm by asserting territorial claims on Ukraine’s region—territory with no legal or historical justification under Moldovan state policy.…

May 19, 2025Moldova, Russia, Ukraine

Moldova