How Russian-funded fake news network aims to disrupt election in Europe - BBC investigation
21 September 2025 Share Save Oana Marocico & Seamus Mirodan BBC Eye Investigations and Rowan Ings BBC Global Disinformation Unit Share Save
BBC Network co-ordinator Alina Juk (left), captured by our undercover filming, listens to instructions about the disinformation campaign
A secret Russian-funded network is attempting to disrupt upcoming democratic elections in an eastern European state, the BBC has found. Using an undercover reporter, we discovered the network promised to pay participants if they posted pro-Russian propaganda and fake news undermining Moldova's pro-EU ruling party ahead of the country's 28 September parliamentary ballot. Participants were paid to find supporters of Moldova's pro-Russia opposition to secretly record - and also to carry out a so-called poll. This was done in the name of a non-existent organisation, making it illegal. The results of this selective sampling, an organiser from the network suggested, could lay the groundwor
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