Tiraspol, in conjunction with Russia, has launched a massive disinformation and manipulation campaign, related to the Convergence Fund, the application of customs duties for entrepreneurs from the Transnistrian region, and also the protest scheduled to take place on October 23 on the left bank of the Dniester. People are being suggested that the constitutional authorities want to rob them through the taxes applied.
DisInfo has identified hundreds of posts on social networks and online publications that promote these falsehoods.
The gradual introduction of VAT for the Transnistrian region was presented as an economic blockade by the Tiraspol regime. Almost 130 posts of this kind were shared in the last two weeks on Telegram channels. Many of them began to be broadcast by Transnistrian or pro-Russian publications, including TSV, Sputnik, Pervîi Pridnesrovskii, and were amplified by the press associated with Ilan Șor, for example Canal5.
Much of this information became widely distributed after the statements of Russia’s representative to the OSCE, Dmitri Poleansky, who said that the introduced taxes could lead to a new military confrontation on the Dniester.
And Vitali Ignatiev’s statements for Ria have become massively distributed by pro-Russian and Transnistrian Telegram channels, which frequently quoted accusations against Chisinau, regarding the “war” and “economic genocide.”
Valeriu Chiveri’s statements were distorted and manipulatively presented, conveying that Transnistrians will not receive money from the Convergence Fund. In fact, the Deputy Prime Minister for Reintegration previously stated that these financial resources will not be handed over to the leaders in Tiraspol for management.
Almost 100 posts identified by disinfo.md on social networks and in pro-Russian or Transnistrian publications refer to the mobilization of the population for the so-called protest on October 23rd. The event is presented as if it were organized by civil society, but deschide.md demonstrated in an investigation that the special services from Tiraspol and Moscow are directly connected with the demonstration.
To undermine trust in the constitutional authorities, protests are presented as messages addressed to the international community, EU, OSCE, and UN. Reference is made to the war of 1992, and the population is suggested that if they do not participate in the protest, they will show indifference towards the alleged republic. The impact of the event is amplified with information about the number of participants.
For instance, TSV announced that over 80 civil society organizations will take to the streets in a report. In the images, however, only a few retirees preparing placards are seen. The same channel wrote on Telegram about 100 businesses from Bender that will join the demonstration and reported that 50,000 people protested previously in Tiraspol.
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The statements of Maria Zaharova and those of Vitali Ignatiev, referring to the alleged economic war that Moldova declared on the Transnistrian region, have been promoted in over 130 internet posts.
Among the publications and Telegram channels that distributed them are PGTRK, TSV, Measorubka News, Pridnestrovets, Pervîi Pridnestrovskii, Sputnik, Smugleanka, Tricolor nad Dnestrov, and others. Moreover, some of them were promoted by pro-Russian politicians, for example Bogdan Țîrdea and Victoria Furtună.
For instance, Pridnestrovets quoted Maria Zaharova, with the statement about Moldova allegedly destroying the economy of the Transnistrian region. Measorubka News referred to Vitali Ignatiev’s statement, which declared customs duties illegal and claimed that they would represent “the robbery of the Transnistrians.”
The regional press has mobilized and alleged experts or local officials, to encourage protests and confirm the narratives of the region’s leaders. For instance, Pervîi Pridnestrovskii featured, in a report, the head of the public council from the city of Bender and the president of the Popular Forum created by Vadim Krasnoselski, along with a few retirees.
To amplify fear and create the perception of an imminent catastrophe, propaganda used extreme terms such as genocide, “economic strangulation”, “blockade”, and “economic war”, so that customs duties would be perceived by the population as an existential threat.
Concurrently, the protest in Tiraspol is presented as a legitimate way for the population to express their will and to stand against the alleged pressures of Moldova, participation in the demonstration being associated with civic duty.
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