EU External Action Service presents its third report on Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference – zoom-in on Moldova

The EU External Action Service (EEAS) has published its 3rd EEAS Report on Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI) Threats, which maps out the digital infrastructure deployed by foreign actors, mainly by Russia, but also by China, to manipulate and interfere in the information space of the EU and partner countries.

The map shows how attributed channels are only the tip of the iceberg of FIMI activities, as they rely on extensive covert networks of channels with hidden connections, such as Doppelganger, African Initiative, Portal Kombat or False Façade.

The latest EEAS Threat Report also presents a model for revealing the connections between digital channels used in FIMI activities and the underlying infrastructure of threat actors, known as the FIMI Exposure Matrix. This model is key for exposing FIMI operations, establishing precise terminology for the activities carried out by threat actors and enabling the implementation of effective, evidence-based responses.

Investigations by the EEAS reveal that:

• Over 500 FIMI incidents took place across 2024
• Threat actors used at least 25 different platforms, and at least 38,000 different accounts were involved in FIMI activities
• 322 organisations have been targeted by FIMI operations
• FIMI incidents in 2024 were spread across 90 different countries.

A case study on Moldova illustrates how Russia opportunistically uses key events, such as elections, to boost long-term interference strategies in geopolitically significant regions. 

According to the report, the October–November 2024 Presidential Elections and EU membership referendum in Moldova revealed a significant escalation in Russia’s FIMI operations in the country as activities intensified in response to Moldova’s EU aspirations. 

“In the months leading up to the elections, Russia used a complex, multi-layered, and adaptive FIMI infrastructure. These operations strategically combined existing infrastructure with newly developed assets to manipulate public opinion, destabilise the electoral process, weaken support for President Maia Sandu, and undermine the EU enlargement process in the region,” the report says.

The EU External Action Service publishes such reports annually, providing a comprehensive picture of FIMI activities taking place across different information environments, and looking at the tools, processes and initiatives that were used to counter these incidents.

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Press release

Report