The United States has imposed sanctions on seven leading members of a Russian influence group with links to intelligence services for their role in Moscow's campaign to destabilize Moldova and instigate an insurrection.
In a statement issued on June 5, the Treasury Department accused the individuals of provoking, training, and overseeing protesters in Moldova with the aim to topple President Maia Sandu and a newly appointed Western-leaning government earlier this year.
The statement said Konstantin Sapozhnikov, one of the sanctioned individuals, led the group and also organized the plot to destabilize the Moldovan government. The other members designated were Yury Makolov, Gleb Khloponin, Svetlana Boyko, Aleksei Losev, Vasily Gromovikov, and Anna Travnikova.
In February and March, several thousand people took to the streets in the Moldovan capital, Chisinau, against Sandu and the pro-Western government with many in the crowd linked to the Russian-friendly Shor Party.
The protesters demanded Sandu's resignation and called on the government to pay citizens' utility bills following a spike in energy prices caused by Russia's decision to slash natural-gas exports to Europe.
Ilan Shor, the tycoon who founded the Shor Party, fled Moldova following Sandu's election in 2019.
"Russia's attempted influence operations exploit the concerns of the citizens of these countries, to destabilize legitimately elected governments for Moscow’s own interests. The United States remains committed, along with the EU, to target individuals who engage in such activities against the government of Moldova," Treasury Undersecretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian Nelson said in the statement.
Sandu and the government want Moldova, an impoverished former Soviet republic, to join the European Union and escape Moscow's orbit. The Kremlin opposes Moldova's tilt to the West and has used its energy resources as a tool to punish Chisinau.
Russia has denied any involvement in a covert plot to destabilize Moldova.
Moldovan Foreign Minister Nicu Popescu, in a Facebook post, said that "we welcome today's decision by the United States Treasury Department to sanction seven more individuals with foreign citizenship who tried to destabilize the internal situation in the Republic of Moldova. This measure is an important step in our joint efforts to maintain stability and public order in our country.'
It is not the first time the United States has placed sanctions on Russian individuals for undermining democracy in Moldova.
In October 2022, the Treasury Department designated Yury Gudilin, Olga Grak, and Leonid Gonin for their coordinated action in 2020 and 2021 to influence the outcome of Moldova's elections. The EU has also sanctioned several Russian and Moldovan individuals for activities against the government in Chisinau.
In its June 5 statement, the Treasury Department said Sapozhnikov and his group did not limit their actions to Moldova. They also targeted Ukraine, Balkan countries, the EU, Britain, and the United States.
"These malign influence operatives analyze countries vulnerable to exploitation and stoke fears that undermine faith in democratic principles in the targeted countries," the statement said.
The Treasury's decision to place sanctions on Sapozhnikov and his cohorts freezes any U.S. assets in their possession, including U.S. dollar bank accounts at foreign institutions.