Diplomacy, Shor's Aircraft Fleet and Updates on the Kuliok Case
Weekly Roundup: February 20, 2026
Hello and welcome back to Moldova Matters! In a week of heavy snowfall over most of the country the news decided not to take any snow days. It’s a long roundup this week but there are lots of important stories and I really recommend reading till the end.
The Munich Security Conference
Compared to last year’s Munich Security Conference, the 2026 event was far less shocking to participants. Partly, that’s because US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s speech was far less abrasive1 than the one delivered last year by JD Vance. Partly, it’s because the shock of the recent Greenland Crisis has been internalized and it’s getting harder for the US to shock European leaders.
President Maia Sandu was one of the more than 50 heads of state and government attending the event. There she spoke on a panel about hybrid threats sharing Moldova’s experience and warning that hybrid attacks affect all countries now - big and small. On the sidelines of the event she gave an interview to Romanian Substack news platform Explicativ where she called out “cognitive warfare” as the most dangerous threat to democracies and highlighted the role and power of social media companies saying:
“The Republic of Moldova is too small a country to be able to impose rules on platforms. And platforms must have a degree of responsibility, because they decide which algorithms they use. These algorithms bring information to our screen thousands of times to form an opinion. But that is not freedom of expression,”
At the conference President Sandu had numerous bilateral meetings, including one with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Speaking about their discussion she said that she expressed gratitude to the United States for past an ongoing support - particularly in the field of energy projects. They also discussed American cybersecurity and defense support to the country.
Following the conference, Marco Rubio journeyed onward to directly involve the United States in Hungary’s elections where he spoke of a “golden era of relations between our countries” and told Viktor Orban that “President Trump is deeply committed to your success.”
Meanwhile, a Congressional Delegation (CODEL) of 4 Democratic Senators, Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Chris Coons (D-DE) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) stopped in Chisinau on a tour of the region.
While in Chisinau the Senators met with President Sandu and Prime Minister Munteanu.
In questions and statements the Senators explained to the Moldovan press that the country is not unique in not having a US Ambassador with Senator Coons saying:
“I see our relations as close and strong. You should not misunderstand the lack of an ambassador here. We lack ambassadors in many countries”
They spoke of the Trump Administration’s support for energy projects in Moldova as evidence that a strong strategic relationship exists. Senator Blumenthal strongly condemned Putin’s war of aggression and praised Ukraine and Moldova’s “commitment to democracy.”
RISE Investigation Identify’s Shor’s Aircraft Fleet
RISE Moldova released 2 investigations this week into the financial dealings of Ilan Shor and his close proxies. The first investigation showed that starting in Spring 2024 Ilan Shor began acquiring a fleet of aircraft, starting with a AgustaWestland AW139 helicopter. This was followed by a Gulfstream G650ER, a Gulfstream G450 and another Gulfstream G650ER.
To evade sanctions, members of Shor’s network loaned money to the Turkish private jet rental company Zafer Air. These loans were not repayable in cash, but were to be redeemed for the aircraft at some future date. Zafer Air operates 12 aircraft of which 4 are Shor’s. RISE tracked the planes as largely flying to Ankara, Moscow, Istanbul, Tel Aviv, Bishkek and Abu Dhabi. Other trips included Budapest, Riga, Brussels, Vienna, Barcelona and Tokyo.
Intriguingly, for many of these flights the planes were painted with the official name and symbols of the Kyrgyz Republic and used to ferry the President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov to official visits.
On of the flights on March 2-7 2025 overlapped with Ilan Shor’s birthday and went to the Maldives. RISE quotes the Moldovan authorities as having received no information from Interpol that Shor left Russia since he arrived there from Israel in February 2024.
In their second investigation, RISE reported on recent data leaks from Russia’s sanctioned PSB bank that showed top Shor lieutenant Marina Tauber held more than $500,000 dollars cash equivalent in the bank. Tauber did not report such holdings on her asset declarations before she fled the country ahead of her 7 year 6 month prison sentence for money laundering and other crimes. RISE reports that the bank’s 21% interest rate is providing her with healthy yearly returns. Ilan Shor was also found to have an account in the bank with the equivalent of $87,000 in cash.
Other Security & Hybrid War News
Here’s a roundup of the other top security stories of the week:
Dmitri Constantinov doesn’t “want to go to prison.” The former President of the People’s Assembly of Gagauzia thus explained why he is on the run from the law in a newly released video. He called his recent 12 year prison sentence for embezzling more than 46 million lei “unfair” because the word “embezzlement” implies the theft of public funds and he was actually convicted of stealing this money from a private company - a situation he calls an “an economic dispute between private entities.” Constantinov is wanted by police and assumed to be in the Transnistria region after he escaped with a network of accomplices - changing cars at least 3 times - the day before sentencing.
The authorities announced a joint Moldovan-Ukrainian investigation into a Russian plot to assassinate Ukrainian public officials. Few details are available at the time of writing, but we know that one of the targets of the investigation was a Moldovan citizen named Nicolae Andrei Șepeli. He was previously convicted of an unspecified crime in Russia before being transferred to finish his prison sentence in a Moldovan prison. He as pardoned by President Sandu in April 2022 on the recommendation of the Prosecutor General and Commission on Issues of Pardoning Convicted Persons. This pardon was conditional on a sort of parole agreement and has been canceled citing new information2.
Dodon’s “Kuliok” Trial Continues
Vladimir Plahotniuc has refused to testify in ongoing court proceedings against Igor Dodon in the case that has been nicknamed “kuliok” (bag). The case stems from a secretly recorded video, presumably by Plahotniuc himself, showing a discussion between himself and then President Igor Dodon in 2019. In the video, Plahotniuc passes Dodon a black bag with the implication that it contains money. Recall that Vladimir Voronin, when it appeared he was being forced out of politics last summer, told the world that the bag contained €860,000 euros.
During court hearings, long portions of the video not involving the bag were played for the first time. They involve a negotiation between Dodon and Plahotniuc about the formation of a governing coalition in the wake of the 2019 parliamentary elections. Plahotniuc, then leader of the Democratic Party, asks Dodon for his terms and Dodon stipulates that there will be 2 coalition agreements:
The Secret Agreement - to be signed between Plahotniuc and Dodon at the Russian Embassy in the presence of the Russian Ambassador.
The Public Agreement - to be signed by the Democratic Party leader (Plahotniuc) and the Socialist Party leader (Zinaida Greceanîi) and released publicly.
While the public agreement divided up ministries and created power-sharing working groups, the secret agreement involved Federalization. This almost certainly referred to the reintegration of Transnistria via the constitutionally asymmetric Kozak Memorandum3. Dodon explained that “The word federalization is a problem for us too. I explained it to Putin and Putin agreed,” and the 2 men agreed to use the term “special status.”
In parallel, Plahotniuc asked for assurances that criminal cases against him opened in Russia would be closed. Dodon stated that Putin had invited Plahotniuc to Russia under his “personal guarantee” in order to discuss this. Plahotniuc asked for assurances that did not involve him going to Russia, to which Dodon replied that Dimitri Kozak insists on the coalition agreement coming first.
Dodon additionally discussed party financing, with the clear implication that he was referring to Plahotniuc financing the Socialist Party, where he said “For us, 600-700 per month,” adding that this will increase “up to 700-800.” Plahotniuc expressed some surprise at this number, and Dodon insisted that “If you want to change something, I have to consult with Moscow.”
Note: Plahotniuc’s refusal to testify reflects his right against self incrimination as he is also a defendant in a related case that has not yet been brought to court.
Other Crime, Corruption & Justice News
Police increase the suspected body count of the Beriozchi serial killer. The crimes, which were first announced on Christmas Eve, are still being investigated as the police process the alleged killer’s sprawling pig farm. Chief of Police Viorel Cernăuțeanu answered questions about progress stating:
“Active investigative measures are currently underway, which will undoubtedly further shock society. We’re talking about events from 2005-2008, 2015, and 2018, when the suspect committed quite serious crimes. Without going into details, the investigation has already clearly identified three victims. Three more victims are under investigation,”
Interpol has refused to issue a Red Notice for Denis Cuculescu who was recently convicted of fraud and treason. The agency cited their rules against getting involved in political or security related prosecutions as the reason. Moldovan police are reapplying and attempting to negotiate, focusing on the fraud conviction.
Vlad Filat announced that Interpol dropped their Red Notice against him. This was confirmed by the Moldovan police but the reason is unclear. The warrant involved Filat’s recent prison sentence in France.
Anti-Corruption Prosecutors announced a new criminal case against Plahotniuc regarding the use of false identity documents. This will be his 6th ongoing criminal case in Moldova and the 3rd international case involving his many identities discovered when he was arrested in Greece (the other cases are in Greece and Romania)
The Conflict over the Dereneu Church
A conflict between the Moldovan Orthodox Church (under Moscow) and the Romanian Orthodox Metropolis of Bessarabia (under Bucharest) over a church in the town of Dereneu has spilled into national politics. Back in 2018 the parish priest joined many other parishes around the country by defecting to the Metropolis of Bessarabia. This sparked a violent reaction, fueled by members of the Moldovan Orthodox Church and the local mayor who forcibly removed the priest and occupied the church. This case has spent years winding through the courts because the church building is state property. Ultimately, the Supreme Court of Justice ruled that parish choices and historical claims grant the right to use the building to the Metropolis of Bessarabia.
Forward to the present, Moldovan Orthodox Church Archbishop Petru of Ungheni and Nisporeni, lit the match when he and various priests and parishioners occupied parts of the church grounds and tried to celebrate mass earlier this month. They were joined by a growing mob that the government now says are primarily “organized” outside agitators unrelated to this small town. Socialist MPs have attended the protests and the police have had to intervene to prevent the mob from forcibly removing the parish priest and occupying the building.
This conflict has resulted in pictures and video clips being spread through Russian disinformation networks with claims that the Moldovan government is seizing churches or that a “Ukrainian scenario” is underway. Russian Foriegn Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has called this an “attack on Orthodoxy” and a stain on any claim that the West believes in human rights.
In other Orthodoxy news, Russian Patriarch Kirill awarded Transnistrian “President” Vadim Krasnoselsky the Order of Prince Daniel of Moscow, 2nd Class “for his contribution to the development of church-state relations.”
Author’s Note: If all of that is totally perplexing to you fear not! I’ve been working on a new report with Watchdog on the role of religion and the Orthodox Church in Russian disinformation. It will be out soon and I’ll send out parts of it directly via Moldova Matters with links to the full report. So if you’ve ever wondered how this whole church schism thing works - stay tuned.
Other Political Updates
Here’s a roundup of the top politics stories of the week:
Democracy at Home (PPDA) MPs Sergiu Stefanco and Ana Țurcan-Oboroc stole a car off a police impound lot in Cahul. They claimed that the car was seized as part of bankruptcy proceedings against a local farmer in violation of a law passed in late 2025 that suspended asset confiscations from farmers. The car belongs to a local party leader’s wife. The farmer then returned the car in less than an hour saying “I don’t want to break the law.” PPDA leader Vasile Costiuc praised his MPs “for their courage” and denied reports (and video evidence) that the man had immediately returned the car. The car was released the following day through normal legal procedure.
The Ministry of Education launched a letter writing campaign on the 4th anniversary of the full scale war. The campaign is called “A letter in place of a hug” and encourages 6-12 graders to write a “simple and sincere letter, in which they convey a message of encouragement and hope” to their peers in Ukraine. Secretary of State Valentina Olaru stated that the letters don’t need to be “long or perfect” but that they should “come from the heart” and send the message “we are not indifferent.”
Economics & Infrastructure
Here’s a roundup of the top stories of the week:
Moldova is planning a high-speed electric rail link Chisinau-Ungheni. Minister of Infrastructure Bolea stated that a feasibility study is starting with the goal of planning a 140 km / hr rail line of European gauge. This line would connect from the Chisinau airport through Ungheni to Bucharest. When Romania completes their Pașcani - Iași line then this link would connect Chisinau to the entire European high speed rail network.
Questions swirl over the failure to complete the Vulcănești - Chișinău high voltage line in 2025. Politicians and ministers repeatedly claimed that the line would be put into use by December 2025 and have recently given contradicting answers as to what went wrong. President Sandu recently spoke in an interview explaining that while the power line is complete and has been tested the power stations at either end are behind their contractual deadlines. Minister of Energy Dorin Junghietu was forced to clarify that this isn’t really true. The contract deadline was never December 2025 but June 2026. He said that he made the public statements on the basis of verbal conversations he had where he urged the companies to complete the work faster - but that no such agreements were put on paper. When pressed he claimed that the contractors made “promises” but again, only verbally.
Moldelectrica has hit a milestone - for the first time they have reported battery storage as an energy source. Currently 25 MWhs of batteries are installed but the Ministry of Energy predicts up to 200 MWh by the end of the year thanks to private investment. They note that new tenders for wind farms with 170 MW capacity are being prepared and that these tenders require 0.25 MWh of storage to be installed alongside every 1 MW of generation.
Is the economy growing again? The National bank thinks so. They announced that GDP growth in Q3 of 2025 was 5.2%. They also announced that January inflation was 4.85% and within the bank’s target zone. The bank believes that the economy has now come out of stagnation.
Parliament has voted to raise the VAT threshold for companies to 1.7 million lei. Ultimately, MPs sided with the government against proposals to further increase the threshold to 3.2 million.
Economist Veaceslav Ionita has presented findings on the structural problems of the housing market in Moldova. He cites lack of housing supply driven by regulatory problems and poor financial instruments for builders as the driver of the ever-increasing housing prices in Chisinau. Specifically, he cites a 0.5% fee on the total project cost that is required to even start building. This means that a €100 million euro apartment building would have a €500,000 euro fee just to begin construction - much higher than in other parts of Europe. In terms of financing he notes that bank loans for real estate have exploded from 3.7 billion lei in 2015 to 29.4 billion lei in 2025 with half of this difference coming in the last 2 years. Critically, while around 70% of financing for new housing construction used to come in the form of loans to construction companies, today that figure is only 10% with the majority of lending going directly to households. Construction companies are unable to access cheap financing so they sell apartments in unbuilt projects in advance of construction and individual households make these purchases and wait 5-7 years to either move in or flip the completed property for up to 3x profit. This contrasts with an EU average of 50-70% of residential construction financing coming from bank loans offered at lower than mortgage rates. Since subsidized prima-casa mortgages cannot be spent on buildings that are unfinished this means that state money is subsidizing purchases on a supply constrained market and further driving up the price.
Though not less “abusive” in tone. As one Swedish diplomat said of the speech “It’s more like an abusive love affair,” “Europe gets beaten up by the USA. Then they get handed a bouquet of flowers. And suddenly, they are back in love.”
In Moldova the pardon power is vested in the constitution but exercised (evidently) through administrative acts. I’ve found no other instance of a pardon being annulled or revoked due to new information, but it is not uncommon for pardons to have conditions attached. It will be interesting to see if this is challenged in court and what kind of precedent it might set.
It’s not much exaggeration to say that this would involve Moldova joining Transnistria and Gagauzia as a very junior partner.