ZdG: "Kremlin's Digital Army," Part II — trolls paid "directly from Moscow" target the information space of the Republic of Moldova
Hundreds of individuals were organized into northern, southern, and central battalions and received payments "directly from Moscow." Their salaries ranged from 600 to 3,000 lei, disbursed in rubles through Promsviazbank, in euros to Moldovan cards, or in cryptocurrencies. This network, known as "InfoLider," ramped up its information attacks in the lead-up to the parliamentary elections on September 28. It specifically targeted the ruling party while promoting political groups aligned with Moscow, as revealed in a recent investigation by Ziarul de Gardă.
Infiltration of the ZdG journalist
ZdG journalist Măriuța Nistor entered the network under the pseudonym “Ludmila”. She participated in training sessions organized for the fourth generation of “responsible communication activists” of the “Victory” Bloc, and then was promoted to the “InfoLider” project. In conversations with the coordinators, she was told directly: “The minimum you can get is 600 lei”. The payment was offered for a fixed number of posts per month, with bonuses depending on activity.
The journalist was remunerated twice in cryptocurrencies, the equivalent of approximately $ 130, the last payment being made during the middle of the electoral campaign. “Our work is exclusively remote, we work from home, only on social networks”, the coordinators told her.
How the network worked
The “InfoLider” network was coordinated through private Telegram channels and chatbots, where posts were reported. The curators had the role of organizing the groups by region and directing the propaganda themes.
Among the narratives spread by the “infoleaders” were: accusations that the amnesty law “releases the most dangerous criminals,” criticism of Maia Sandu for her Romanian citizenship, messages that joining the European Union “will draw Moldova into war,” or that the United States would no longer support our country. Also, themes related to concerts with Russian artists or protests organized by the pro-Russian opposition were promoted, all to create the appearance of massive support for Moscow’s narratives.
From the “Victory” Bloc to “Moldova Mare”
Although the network had been formed by recruiting supporters of Ilan Șor’s “Victory” Bloc, the curators announced in September that the “infoleaders”’ “new friend” was the “Moldova Mare” Party of Victoria Furtună.
Consequently, the “infoleaders” were instructed to eliminate traces of their connections with the “Victory” Bloc and to publish pro-“Moldova Mare” content, alternating with constant attacks against PAS.
The authors of the investigation also attempted to elicit a response from Victoria Furtună, but the president of the “Moldova Mare” Party declined to answer questions related to the support received from the network coordinated from Moscow.
Over 200 active trolls
ZdG shows that over 200 people were involved in the project, which was coordinated and funded from Moscow. In internal chats, the goal was clearly formulated: to get as many friends and subscribers on Facebook as possible by election day.
