Russia used religious funding to exert influence in Moldova

An investigation based on a leak of over 270,000 internal emails from the Moscow-based House of Compatriots reveals how the Russian government has used religious funding to exert influence in Moldova.

Between 2016 and 2018, religious initiatives in Moldova and the Transnistrian region received more than 8.5 million Russian rubles (equivalent to over 2.5 million Moldovan lei). These funds were allocated for items such as liturgical objects, church furniture, books, and icons. The requests for these funds were reportedly supported by Russian diplomats accredited in Chișinău.

The documents highlight the role of various intermediaries, including former deputy Fiodor Gagauz. Gagauz, through the ‘United Gagauzia’ movement, reportedly requested approximately one million rubles in 2015 for religious objects for the Church of the Dormition of the Mother of God in Copceac, a request that was approved for execution in 2016. Other funds were directed to parishes under the canonical jurisdiction of the Moscow Patriarchate.