As Moldova prepares for a pivotal presidential election and referendum on European Union membership this Sunday, a new wave of allegations has surfaced involving Israeli-Moldovan businessman Ilan Shor.
Shor, a fugitive who used to reside in Israel but has since left, is accused of orchestrating efforts to destabilize Moldova’s pro-Western government on behalf of Russian interests.
The Moldovan police have uncovered a program in which hundreds of Moldovan citizens were taken to Russia and trained to incite riots, adding a layer of tension to an already volatile political environment.
According to Moldovan national police chief Viorel Cernauteanu, more than 300 Moldovans have traveled to Russia since June under the pretense of attending cultural events but were instead trained in camps to stage unrest. The camps are allegedly linked to private military groups operating in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia. Moldovan authorities believe this is part of a larger Russian effort to disrupt the presidential election and referendum on Moldova’s EU membership aspirations.
At the center of these allegations is Ilan Shor, who fled Moldova in 2019 after being implicated in a 2014 banking scandal, which resulted in the disappearance of $1 billion from Moldovan banks. Shor, sentenced in absentia to 15 years in prison for his role in the scandal, remains a key figure in Moldovan politics. Speaking from Israel, Shor has continued to oppose Moldova’s pro-Western trajectory and President Maia Sandu, frequently organizing protests and spreading disinformation aimed at undermining the government.
“We have clear evidence of coordination between Ilan Shor and Russia in their joint efforts to destabilize Moldova,” Moldova’s Foreign Minister Nicu Popescu told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency in April. “Shor is trying to bring violence onto the streets, and the scale of these attempts has only increased recently.”
Shor’s activities, however, have created an uncomfortable dilemma for Israel. As an Israeli citizen, Shor’s presence in Israel has complicated Moldova’s efforts to extradite him. While Israel has become more willing in recent years to extradite its citizens facing charges abroad, Moldovan officials say they have yet to receive a formal response to their request to have Shor returned to Moldova to face justice. Shor has been sanctioned by both the United States and the United Kingdom for his role in meddling in Moldova’s internal politics. Yet, Israel’s Foreign Ministry has so far declined to comment on the case, citing legal complexities.
From his base in Israel, Shor continues to direct his supporters in Moldova, releasing videos in which he rails against Moldova's pro-Western leadership. In one particularly inflammatory video from earlier this year, Shor addressed President Maia Sandu directly, calling her “Hitler” and vowing to improve the lives of his supporters despite her government. “Whether you like it or not, I will make sure my people live well,” Shor said, a clear challenge to Sandu’s efforts to move Moldova closer to the European Union.
Moldova's significance
Moldova, a small country of under three million people between Ukraine and Romania, has been a focal point for Russian efforts to maintain influence in Eastern Europe. Since gaining independence from the Soviet Union, the country has alternated between pro-Western and pro-Russian leadership. President Sandu, who won office in 2020, has been a strong advocate for Moldova’s integration into the EU, a stance that has angered Moscow and its local allies.
Shor’s ties to Russian interests have been well-documented. Intelligence assessments in both Moldova and the United States have pointed to his links with the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB), with reports indicating that Russian funds have been funneled through Shor to support pro-Russian candidates and incite unrest. Shor has played a vital role in organizing protests to undermine the current government as part of Russia's broader strategy to destabilize Moldova.
“Moldova is facing hybrid threats,” Popescu said in his interview with JTA. “It is unacceptable that people like Shor are trying to bring violence onto our streets from foreign soil.”
Despite Shor’s conviction and continued legal battles, he remains a significant figure in Moldovan politics. His party, the Shor Party, continues to operate despite being officially banned. It is accused of bribing citizens to attend protests and vote against the government’s EU membership referendum. Moldovan police have detained several individuals connected to Shor’s network, including some who were reportedly promised up to $10,000 to incite violence during demonstrations.
Valeriu Pasha, director of the Moldovan think tank Watchdog.MD described Shor as “the most important political ally of Russia in Moldova.” According to Pasha, Shor’s network operates like an organized crime syndicate, and his role in spreading pro-Russian narratives about the war in Ukraine and Moldova’s pro-Western government is “critical.”
“Moldova’s stability is at risk,” said Pasha, emphasizing Shor’s influence over Russian-affiliated media broadcasting. “Shor’s media channels play a crucial role in amplifying Russian propaganda.”
While Moldovan authorities remain concerned about Shor’s destabilizing influence, the Jewish community in Moldova has expressed its own concerns. Some fear that the increasing backlash against Shor could lead to antisemitic sentiments, especially given Shor’s Jewish heritage and the involvement of other Jewish figures in his political and business networks. However, Shor is not known for being particularly close to the Jewish community in Moldova, which may mitigate the potential for antisemitic repercussions.
The stakes in Moldova’s upcoming election and referendum are high, with the country's future direction hanging in the balance. If Shor and his Russian backers succeed in disrupting the process, Moldova’s pro-Western trajectory could be derailed, further complicating its aspirations to join the European Union by 2030. For now, Moldova remains on edge, with authorities working to contain the influence of a fugitive oligarch operating from thousands of miles away.
As Moldovan authorities continue their investigation into Shor’s activities and their connection to Russian efforts to undermine the country’s democracy, many are watching closely to see whether Israel will take action. Moldova’s chief anti-corruption prosecutor, Veronica Dragalin, has been outspoken in her calls for Shor’s extradition, stressing that his presence in Israel complicates efforts to hold him accountable.
“We want to see him extradited now because we do not want him to escape justice,” Dragalin said. “Bringing Shor to justice in Moldova would send a strong message that even the rich and powerful are not above the law.”
For now, Shor continues to operate freely from Israel as Moldovan authorities work to prevent the disruption of this weekend’s critical vote.