In the public space, there are periodically promoted claims according to which the Republic of Moldova would be “militarized” by the authorities and Western partners, and the soldiers of the National Army are supposed to be sent to fight in Ukraine. The messages reappear especially after the increase of the defense budget, upon receiving some equipment, organizing international exercises, or after concluding some cooperation agreements in the field of security.

The analysis of legislation, strategic documents, and official denials, however, shows that modernizing defense capabilities is not equivalent to participating in a war. At the same time, there is no official act that provides for the deployment of Moldovan soldiers to participate in the war in Ukraine, and such a decision cannot be made secretly by a single dignitary.

Where do the assertions originate from?

The narrative about the alleged involvement of the Republic of Moldova in the war was disseminated through political statements, articles published on social networks, Telegram channels, TikTok platform videos and anonymous messages sent to editorial offices.

In May 2025, according to the Stopfals! platform, some online sources claimed that the Minister of Defense, Anatolie Nosatii, had secretly met in Kiev with his Ukrainian counterpart and had agreed to send Moldovan units to the front. The information was sent to several editorial offices from anonymous addresses. The Ministry of Defense clarified that the minister was not in Kiev on the indicated day and that such an agreement did not exist.

Subsequently, in August 2025, the Turkish page Dikgazete published an alleged leak of documents, according to which President Maia Sandu was to send 700 volunteers to Ukraine after the parliamentary elections. The message was quickly picked up by the Russian press and several Telegram and Facebook channels, without presenting any authentic documents or official confirmation. The spokesperson for the Presidency, Igor Zaharov, denied the information, stating that it is part of a new campaign to manipulate public opinion.

The Falsehood about the Moldovan Soldiers Killed in Ukraine

One of the most serious cases occurred in July 2025. The Telegram channel GagauzNews, citing the Russian Sputnik and unidentified sources, claimed that ten Moldovan soldiers were sent to a training ground in the Herson region, and four of them reportedly died in a missile attack.

The Ministry of Defense has labeled the information as an “obvious falsehood” and clarified that no military personnel of the National Army is involved in military actions outside the country’s territory. The institution stated that the narrative aimed to provoke panic, undermine confidence in authorities, and generate confusion in a pre-electoral context.

In September 2025, the narrative reappeared on several Telegram channels, where images were distributed of an alleged Moldovan soldier who was claimed to have been sent to the front in Ukraine and to have died during the battles.

The Ministry of Defense has refuted the information, specifying that no soldier of the National Army is participating in military actions in Ukraine and that the posts were not supported by verifiable evidence, being part of a coordinated disinformation campaign, promoted by several Telegram channels affiliated with pro-Kremlin propaganda.

What does the neutrality of the Republic of Moldova mean?

Article 11 of the Constitution stipulates that the Republic of Moldova declares its permanent neutrality and does not allow the deployment of military troops from other states on its territory. However, neutrality does not mean that the state must give up its army, the defense of its airspace, the training of its military, or the development of its defense capabilities.

In the decision of May 2, 2017 regarding the interpretation of Article 11, the Constitutional Court analyzed neutrality together with the state’s obligation to defend its independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. The Court also noted that neutrality cannot be invoked to tolerate the unconsented presence of foreign troops on the country’s territory. On the other hand, the decision of the Constitutional Court does not establish that neutrality would be violated by international cooperation in the field of defense. The assessment of a possible violation depends on the specific nature of the activities carried out and the observance of the constitutional provisions regarding permanent neutrality.

Who can declare mobilization?

The President of the Republic of Moldova is the supreme commander of the Armed Forces, but cannot declare general or partial mobilization alone. Article 87 of the Constitution stipulates that mobilization can be declared by the head of state only with the prior approval of the Parliament.

At the same time, the legislation regarding the state of emergency, siege and war establishes official procedures for declaring mobilization. Mobilization in case of emergency is based on a presidential decree issued in accordance with the constitutional framework, and the personnel to be mobilized is determined by the Government. At the same time, the annual decree on the incorporation of young people into the military service does not represent a mobilization for war. It is a standard procedure, provided by the legislation on military obligation and carried out periodically to supplement the personnel of the National Army.

Thus, the assertion that a president, a minister, or the Government could decide overnight and in secret to mobilize the population and send the army to Ukraine disregards constitutional and legislative procedures.

Can Moldovan soldiers be sent abroad?

The Republic of Moldova can participate in international missions and operations based on the UN Charter, treaties concluded with the European Union, international organizations or other states. The conditions are regulated by Law no. 219/2015 on the participation of the Republic of Moldova in international missions and operations. However, participating in an international mission is not the same as being involved in a war.

Moldovan military personnel have participated or are participating in peacekeeping, observation, training and crisis management missions carried out under the mandate of the UN, EU or other international structures. Such participations are approved by official acts, and in the case of contingents, the mandate, the personnel, the duration and the conditions of the mission are established.

There is no public act that provides for the deployment of a contingent of the National Army to participate in the hostilities in Ukraine. The Ministry of Defense explicitly stated, in the context of the falsehoods from 2025, that Moldovan soldiers did not participate in military actions in Ukraine.

What does the technical-military agreement concluded with Ukraine imply?

Another source of speculation is the update of the Technical-Military Cooperation Agreement between the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine.

According to the Parliament, the updated document contains guarantees regarding the respect of the constitutional status of neutrality of the Republic of Moldova. The technical-military cooperation may include experience exchanges, training, research, standardization, maintenance, logistics or other activities established by agreement. The agreement does not provide for the sending of Moldovan soldiers to fight in Ukraine, as stated in the legislative announcement.

Modernization or militarization?

The term “militarization” is used in political discourse without a clear definition. In many cases, it is used to describe any increase in the defense budget, in the case of equipment acquisition, for military construction, or for exercises.

In 2024, the budget of the Ministry of Defense reached approximately 1.96 billion lei, equivalent to about 0.65% of the GDP. Almost half of the allocations were intended for the maintenance of the armed forces and the payment of personnel. The procurement plan for that year did not provide for the purchase of military equipment and significant amounts were directed towards infrastructure, repairs, uniforms, food and training conditions.

The National Defense Strategy for the years 2024–2034 and the Military Strategy for the years 2025–2035 envisage the gradual modernization of the National Army, the development of air defense, cybersecurity, logistics, personnel training and the state’s capacity to respond to crises. Modernization can be criticized in terms of costs, priorities or transparency, but the mere existence of defense investments does not demonstrate the preparation for an attack or the intention to send soldiers into a foreign war.

Marculesti Airport – a “military hub”?

In June 2025, the socialist deputy Bogdan Țîrdea and the leader of PSRM, Igor Dodon, claimed on their Telegram channels that Marculesti Free International Airport was to be transformed into a “military hub”, and that the Republic of Moldova would be drawn into war. The messages were picked up and amplified by the politician Victoria Furtuna, affiliated with Ilan Shor, as well as by Channel 5 and TV6, media institutions previously associated with him.

In reality, the project provided for the transfer of the airport to the management of the “Eugen Doga” Chisinau International Airport, for the modernization of the infrastructure and the development of passenger and cargo transport. The document allowed the structures of the Ministry of Defense to use the airport infrastructure for activities related to national defense and security, but did not provide for the transfer of the airport to the administration of the Ministry of Defense, nor the creation of a NATO base.

Do military exercises mean participation in war?

The National Army periodically participates in military exercises organized in the Republic of Moldova and abroad, alongside international partners. According to the Ministry of Defense, these exercises aim to train soldiers, test interoperability and prepare for participation in international peacekeeping missions and interventions in crisis situations.

In several cases documented by StopFals!, joint military exercises have been falsely presented as evidence that the Republic of Moldova is renouncing its neutrality or preparing to enter the war in Ukraine. However, the platform shows that participation in such exercises does not equate to joining NATO, nor does it involve engagement in a military conflict.

How does manipulation work?

The first technique is the confusion of defensive modernization with the preparation for an offensive war. A radar, new uniforms, a military camp or salary increases are generically presented as “arming”.

The second method is the confusion of cooperation with adherence. Exercises or assistance programs with NATO, EU, Romania or Ukraine are described as the loss of neutrality and the transition of the military under foreign command.

The third technique is presenting international missions as participation in war. The fact that the law allows participation in peacekeeping operations is used to suggest that soldiers can be secretly sent to the front.

The fourth method involves the fabrication of leaks, documents, photographs and anonymous sources. The falsehoods about the 700 volunteers, the alleged secret meeting in Kiev, and the soldiers killed in Kherson were launched without verifiable evidence, then picked up by several platforms, creating the appearance of confirmation.

The fifth technique is the use of fear. The messages invoke the death of young people, forced mobilization and the approach of war to provoke an emotional reaction before the audience checks the source and legal framework.

Conclusion

The analysis of the legal framework and official documents shows that the claims regarding the militarization of the Republic of Moldova and the deployment of soldiers to Ukraine are not supported by evidence. Neutrality does not exclude the existence and modernization of the National Army or cooperation in the field of defense, and the cases analyzed demonstrate that many of these narratives were based on false information, taken out of context or unverified.