Investigative journalists of RISE Moldova, in cooperation with the Center “Dossier”, published a series of additional data, including photos, about officers of the Federal Security Service (FSB) of Russia who manage the special operations of the Kremlin in Moldova and told what the influence of the Russian intelligence services on Moldova politicians consists of, IPN reports, with reference to an investigation entitled “FSB Handlers for Moldova”.
The investigation published today says that the general coordination of the activities in Moldova is the responsibility of general Dmitry Milyutin, who is the deputy head of the Department of Operative Information of FSB Division 5. He is in charge of Moldova and Belarus. Moldova’s region from the right side of the Nistru is within the remit of Valery Soloha, head of Service 11 of the same Division, while FSB officer Ivan Koroli is responsible for the Transnistrian region.
The RISE journalists told when and who of the FSB officers used the diplomatic cover for about ten years to visit unrestrictedly Moldova, including the region from over the Nistru. Besides these, Moldovan politicians meet with public and humanitarian organizations close to the FSB. In some of the cases, the politicians fly to Moscow themselves.
It was also noted that the strategic plans of the Russian political technologists concerning the election campaigns of the Party of Socialists were accessible to Dmitry Milyutin as well. Moreover, a part of the information reputed to this FSB agent was transmitted through his wife Natalia. So, he could use his spouse as a contact in his special operations to influence Moldovan politics.
As the co-author of the investigation, Moldovan journalist Vladimir Thorik stated for IPN, the FSB handlers regularly received reports and plans from the group of Russian political technologists working for Moldovan politicians, who took an active part in at least four election campaigns in Moldova since 2019. The United States added three of these Russians to the sanctions list over interference in Moldova’s internal affairs.
“We launched the investigation early this spring. It was then clear that Moldova could become the next target of the Kremlin after Ukraine. Moreover, in 2020, while working on the investigation project Kremlinovich, I obtained expertise in studying intelligence services and experience of cooperation with the Center “Dossier” as regards the influence on Moldova exerted by officers of the Foreign Intelligence Service of the so-called Moldovan section of the Kremlin,” Vladimir Thorik told IPN.
According to the investigative journalist, Russia’s intelligence services continue examining different scenarios to influence Moldova, including plans to occupy the country partially or fully through the Russian armed forces or to usurp the power through pro-Russian puppets.
“According to one of these plans, the analysts affiliated with the FSB are examining such variants as the creation [by the Russian army] of a corridor up to the Transnistrian region through southern Ukraine and the recognition of this (currently Russia does not officially recognize this territory), conquering of the whole Moldova or advancing up to the borders of “Transnistria” without recognizing the independence of this,” related Vladimir Thorik.
