Moldovan oligarch Ilan Shor, currently hiding in Russia, has organized a network of companies that help bypass international sanctions imposed on Russia due to its war with Ukraine, according to Rise Moldova.
The network of four companies enables Russian businesses to maintain access to international markets, provide financial services, and manage payment systems despite sanction restrictions.
A key player in this network is A7, a company where Shor owns a controlling stake, while 49% is held by Russia's Promsvyazbank, which is under Western sanctions.
The investigation revealed that this bank is also used for bribing voters in Moldova to sway them against joining the European Union. In September, $15 million was transferred through Promsvyazbank to the accounts of 130,000 Moldovan citizens in an attempt to influence their votes.
Shor, who is on Interpol’s international wanted list, was sentenced to 15 years in prison in Moldova for “bank fraud” linked to the disappearance of $1 billion from Moldovan banks in 2014. Despite being a fugitive, he has visited Moscow multiple times since November 2023 and acquired Russian citizenship in 2024.
In efforts to counter illegal election influence in Moldova, authorities have blocked 15 Telegram channels and 95 chatbots linked to Shor, while Meta removed dozens of fake accounts and pages on Facebook and Instagram used for disinformation and support of pro-Russian parties.
