Remember when Putin's ten-year plan to destabilize Moldova was leaked?

In March 2023, a secret plan thought up by Russian military and political leaders that outlined a 10-year to destabilize the Republic of Moldova and bring the country into the Kremlin's sphere was leaked to the public.

The leaked document originated from Putin’s Presidential Administration according to the Yahoo News exclusive that published details of the plan, and revealed exactly how Moscow was going to push Moldova away from Western influence and the European Union. 

Yahoo News wasn't the only media organization to reveal the existence of the secret document. CNN noted VSquare and Frontstory, RISE Moldova, Expressen in Sweden, the Dossier Centre for Investigative Journalism, as well as Delfi also played a role in obtaining and publishing the plan.

“It envisions Moldova joining the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union,” Michael Weiss and Holger Roonemaa wrote, "and the Collective Security Treaty Organization.” The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CTSO) is a security agreement between former Republics of the Soviet Union.  

“And the plan seeks the ‘neutralization’ of any actions by the Moldovan government to expel the Russian military presence in Transnistria,” the Yahoo News journalists added. 

The document outlining the secret Russian plan was divided into three sections which covered “the political, military and defense sectors; the humanitarian sector; and trade and economy sectors,” according to Weiss and Roonemaa. 

Each heading stipulated short-term, medium-term, and long-term goals that were to be achieved by 2022, 2025, and 2030 respectively. However, the end goal of Russian efforts was to drive Moldova away from Western influence and bring the country into Moscow's political fold.

By the final year of the plan, Russian strategists hoped to foster the “creation of stable pro-Russian groups of influence in the Moldovan political and economic elites” according to a translation of the document provided by Yahoo News. 

The document was developed by Russia’s Presidential Directorate for Cross-Border Cooperation, the same government organization that developed a plan to annex Belarus leaked to Yahoo News as well, and revealed in late February 2023.

“The Moldova strategy, according to the source who leaked it...was drafted in the fall of 2021, like its Belarusian counterpart, with input from Russia’s General Staff and Moscow’s main intelligence services: the FSB, SVR, and GRU," Weiss and Roonema explained.

“While barely recognizing Moldova as a separate state, the document treats Moldova as a pliable satellite over which [Russia] can exercise control and influence, while seeking to block Western influence,” former State Department official David Kramer told Yahoo News. 

Framer added that the attitude projected by the secret document was "typical" of the Kremlin toward all of its neighbors and highlighted that Moscow's objective was to ensure the country maintained a "well-controlled sphere of influence."

Weiss and Roonemaa noted that the document outlined how Russian authorities planned to “neutralize” opposition to pro-Russian sentiment in Moldova through the fostering of pro-Russian groups. The group's would work to challenge the government and pro-Western sentiment. 

A network of Russian non-governmental organizations was planned to improve relations between the two countries according to the document and an expansion of Russian language opportunities for Moldovan students was to be set up.

“In a clear sign that the strategy document was written or edited at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic,” wrote Weiss and Roonemaa, “it even cites remote or distance education as a viable means for satisfying the last criterion.”

By 2025, Russian planners were hoping to have a “sustainable functioning of the system of organizational, financial, legal and information support of NGOs friendly to the Russian Federation,” as quoted by Weiss and Roonemaa in their reporting. 

Serghei Diaconu was the Moldavan Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff at the time Moscow's secret plans for Moldova were revealed and told Yahoo News that non-governmental organizations in the country were often just used as pro-Russian front groups. 

Photo by Twitter @SergheiDiaconu

“There is permanently a presence of people, the younger generation, and especially from the socialist side, entering and exiting the Russian cultural centers,” Diaconu said. “You know they’re not cultural centers... What they really want is to diminish the influence of Romania and Europe in Moldova.”

The news of Russia’s ten-year strategy to destabilize Moldova came just weeks after Moldovan President Maia Sandu accused Russia of plotting a coup d’état in her country meant to overthrow her and her government in order to install politicians more amenable to Russian interests.

“The plan included sabotage and militarily trained people disguised as civilians to carry out violent actions, attacks on government buildings, and taking hostages,” Sandu told reporters at a press conference on February 13th, 2023 after a meeting of European Union leaders.

“Reports received from our Ukrainian partners indicate the locations and logistical aspects of organizing this subversive activity,” the Moldavan President added. The plan also envisages the use of foreigners for violent actions.” 

CNN's Tim Lister noted in his reporting on the secret document that the Kremlin was hoping to make Moldvoa dependent on Russian gas exports and planned short to medium-term goals that would combat work on a constructive solution to the country's Tranistrian breakaway state.

Moscow was also hoping to limit neighboring Romania's influence in the Republic of Moldova, build more constructive relations with Russia, and work towards creating groups that would oppose any Moldavian moves to cooperate with NATO.

When Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov was asked about the secret Russian document, he denied its existence. "We know nothing of the existence of such a plan. I do not rule out that this is another fake."

"Russia has always been and remains open to building good-neighborly, mutually beneficial relations, including with Moldova," Peskov continued. “We are very sorry that the current leadership of Moldova is experiencing completely unjustified and unfounded prejudices against Moscow.”