Shor and Plahotniuc among seven individuals listed by EU for destabilising Moldova and undermining Ukraine’s territorial integrity
May 31, 2023

Shor and Plahotniuc among seven individuals listed by EU for destabilising Moldova and undermining Ukraine’s territorial integrity


Moldovan politicians and businessmen Ilan Shor and Vladimir Plahotniuc and Russian businessmen Igor Chaika are among the list of seven individuals sanctioned yesterday by the European Union.

On 30 May, the Council of the European Union decided to impose restrictive measures against politicians and businessmen with Moldovan or Russian nationality under two distinct sanctions frameworks: a recently established regime targeting persons responsible for actions aimed at destabilising, undermining or threatening the sovereignty and independence of the Republic of Moldova, and the regime addressing the actions which undermine or threaten the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine.

Some of them are linked to the ‘Bank Fraud’ case, which resulted in huge losses for the Moldovan budget. Others are linked to efforts orchestrated by the Kremlin to destabilise Moldova through for instance the planning of violent demonstrations, financial misconduct, unauthorised export of capital and support for the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) projects. Furthermore, the two listings linked to Ukraine target individuals who provided support to Russian military forces, and cooperated with Russian occupation authorities.

Ilan Shor is a Moldovan politician (leader of the ȘOR Political Party) and businessman from the Republic of Moldova who is involved in the illegal financing of political parties in the Republic of Moldova and in incitement to violence against the political opposition.

Businessman and politician Vladimir Plahotniuc is subject to numerous criminal proceedings in the Republic of Moldova related to crimes in connection with the embezzlement of State funds of the Republic of Moldova and their illegal transfer outside the Republic of Moldova. 

Igor Chaika is a Russian businessman responsible for funnelling money in support of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) projects aimed at destabilising the Republic of Moldova.

The sanctions list also includes Gheorghe Petru Cavcaliuc, president of the ‘Building Europe at Home Party’, Marina Tauber, Member of the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova, Aleksandr Kalinin, a Moldovan politician and the leader of the Party of Regions of Moldova, and Grigore Caramalac, businessman, president of the IFAVIS Foundation, vice-president of the Russian Federation of Wrestling and assistant to the senator for the Kursk region.

Sanctions against these individuals consist of an asset freeze and a travel ban to the EU.

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