The United States has imposed sanctions on seven members of a Russian group linked to intelligence services for their attempts to destabilize the Balkans, Moldova, Ukraine, the European Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
According to a statement issued by the US Department of the Treasury on June 5th, they played a significant role in the Russian campaign to destabilize Moldova and incite an uprising there.
“They analyze vulnerable countries and fuel fear that undermines trust in democratic principles in the targeted countries,” the statement said.
The seven sanctioned individuals are accused of provocation, training, and monitoring of protesters in Moldova with the aim of overthrowing President Maia Sandu and the new Western-leaning government earlier this year.
The US Department of the Treasury stated that Konstantin Sapozhnikov, one of the sanctioned individuals, led the group and also organized the plot to destabilize the Moldovan government. The other sanctioned individuals are Yury Makolov, Gleb Khloponin, Svetlana Bojko, Aleksei Losev, Vasily Gromovikov, and Anna Travnikova.
In February and March, thousands of people took to the streets in the Moldovan capital, Chişinău, against President Sandu and the pro-Western government of Moldova. Protesters demanded Sandu’s resignation and called on the government to pay the citizens’ bills following the increase in energy prices caused by Russia’s decision to reduce natural gas exports to Europe.
“Russia’s attempts exploit the concerns of citizens in these countries to destabilize legitimately elected governments for Moscow’s own interests. The United States remains committed, along with the EU, to targeting individuals involved in such activities against the Moldovan government,” said Brian Nelson, the Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, in the statement.
Many individuals were identified as being affiliated with the Shor Party, which has close ties to Russia. Ilan Shor, the businessman who founded the Shor Party, left Moldova after Sandu’s election in 2019.
Sandu and her government aim for Moldova, a former Soviet republic, to join the European Union and free itself from Moscow’s influence. The Kremlin opposes Moldova’s enthusiasm for the West and has used its energy resources as a tool to punish it.
However, Russia has denied any involvement in any secret plot to destabilize Moldova.
