RISE Moldova journalists, together with the Dossier Center, found out details about the employees of the special department of the Russian FSB, which deals with Moldova. Some of his employees often worked under diplomatic cover.
This is stated in their joint material.
For the investigation, the journalists examined numerous documents and phone calls, including a secret note from an expert of the General Staff of the Russian Army, as well as photos and videos obtained from a source close to the FSB official.
General Dmytro Milyutin is considered to be the main curator of Moldova from the FSB in the Moldovan, Ukrainian and Russian security forces. He is the deputy of the Department of Operational Information of the Fifth Department of the FSB. His arrival in Moldova on December 25, 2016 coincided with the beginning of Ihor Dodon's presidential term.
Volodymyr Shirobokov, a Russian political technologist from Izhevsk, was among the people spotted in the office of the Socialist Party. Journalists found out that he was preparing a strategy for the work of the Socialist campaign headquarters in 2019 and that he sent this document to General Milyutin. From people close to the Socialist Party, the journalists received two more documents authored by Shirobokov - a campaign estimate for $19,000 and a questionnaire for a call center before the second round of local elections in Chisinau in 2019. According to RISE Moldova sources, Shirobokov was involved in a total of four election campaigns of socialist candidates in 2019-2021.
Olga Hrak from Kaliningrad is also mentioned among the political technologists who helped the "socialists" with election campaigns. According to sources, Hrak also consulted other Russian political technologists who worked for the Shor party in 2020-2021. In October 2022, it came under US sanctions for participating in the Kremlin's operations in Moldova.
In total, RISE has data on five Russians who worked with the Shor party in 2020-21.
Currently, journalists' interlocutors among politicians and special services of Moldova call the meetings of the "Shor" party an action led by a group of FSB officers under the leadership of Milyutin, but the journalists do not have documentary confirmation of this. Party leader Ilan Shor has not yet responded to a request for comment on his possible ties to Russian political technologists and intelligence services.
The journalists also analyzed the mobile phone billings of Milyutin and General Georgy Grishaev, who is called the head of the Department of Operational Information of the FSB and a protégé of Serhiy Besida, who heads the Fifth Service of the FSB.
From the numbers of Grishaev and Milyutin, they often communicated with the current and two former heads of the special services of the puppet organizations in the territories occupied by the Russian Federation. Among Grishaev's top 5 interlocutors is Volodymyr Antyufeev, retired lieutenant general of the Transnistrian KGB, who headed the special service of the unrecognized region in 1992-2012, and in 2014 found himself in the so-called "DNR" in the role of "vice prime minister" for power unit.
At the end of 2021 - at the beginning of 2022, Milyutin communicated with former and current officials of the special services of puppet organizations - in particular, the ex-head of the "KGB" of South Ossetia Viktor Shargaev and its head Oleg Shiran.
The issues of right-bank Moldova in the FSB's Fifth Directorate seem to be handled by Valery Solokha, and Transnistria by Ivan Korol.
An interlocutor from the special services of Moldova told journalists that, as far as they know, the main headquarters of the FSB is located in Transnistria, where agents are trained and coordinated to work in the entire region, especially in the south of Ukraine.
Unlike Milutin, who has not personally appeared in Moldova since 2016, Ivan Korol comes 2-3 times a year for a period of several days to a week. The last time, as far as is known, it was a week before the open attack of the Russian Federation on Ukraine in February 2022. The king was recorded at a number of meetings with representatives of the special services of the unrecognized Transnistria. These telephone conversations indicate that he is in direct contact with both Milyutin and Grishaev.
In particular, the journalists noted that out of 8 calls between the King and Grishaev from November 2021 to May 2022, four occurred on the day of the terrorist attacks in Transnistria.
So, on April 25, when unknown persons fired a grenade launcher at the "Ministry of State Security" of Transnistria, the King called Grishaev twice before the incident. At the same time, the second call was made less than two hours before the "terrorist attack".
Also, less than 2 hours before the event, Korol called Grishaev on April 26, when the radio tower in Mayak village was blown up: the explosions occurred at 6:40 and 7:05, Korol's call was at 5:05.
Journalists tried to get a comment from both Russians, but they did not answer calls.
The investigators also analyzed the Moldovan border crossing database and noted that since mid-2014, 2-4 Russians with diplomatic passports have been entering the country every year. Most of such guests came for a year and never returned. Judging by the serial numbers, their documents are often issued one after the other - like those of the GRU officers Petrov and Boshirov, who became famous in connection with the poisoning of the Skripals in London.
In every third of such "diplomats", the "Dossier" center found certain connections with the FSB: registration in military units or other houses of the Border Service of the FSB, someone in the merged databases is directly indicated as an employee of the special service. Among these "diplomats" was found the already mentioned "curator" of Transnistria, Ivan Korol.
Journalists also found out that, apparently, the FSB-linked Alpha Group think tank was analyzing scenarios of Russia's takeover of right-bank Moldova and Transnistria. A document with an analysis of the internal political situation in Moldova, which was prepared by the "Alfa Group" in the summer of 2022, came into the possession of the "Dossier" Center from a source. It says that Moldova is allegedly "under the external management of Romania and the US State Department", Maya Sandu is allegedly preparing to usurp power, blockade Transnistria and start "military blackmail" of Russia.
Among the scenarios of taking Moldova under the control of the Russian Federation, the "Alfians" considered the option of a corridor for the Russian forces in Transnistria through the south of Ukraine and the recognition of Transnistria; seizure of the entire territory of Moldova; exit to the borders of Transnistria without its recognition.
Analysts see in all scenarios the risk of losing influence on the rest of the territory of Moldova, and in the case of its complete occupation - great indignation in the West and serious resistance of the population, therefore they suggest "playing the long game" - increasing Russia's hidden influence on the political life of Moldova and promoting various subversive initiatives ( "referendums", "government in exile", "volunteer battalions" for the war against Ukraine, etc.).
