Sputnik.md

Last updated Sep 4, 2019

Sputnik.md is a news portal from the Republic of Moldova founded by the International News Agency «Rossiya Segodnya», established by the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, in 2013.

Sputnik Moldova International Press and Radio Agency (Sputnik.md) started operations in the Republic of Moldova in 2015. Sputnik Moldova is part of the International Press and Radio Agency with multimedia branches in multiple countries around the world. The editorial policy of this agency is strongly affiliated with the Kremlin’s policy.

In Moldova sputnik.md is registered under the company “Rossiya Segodnya” LTD, whose general manager is Vladimir Novosadiuk.

Vladimir Novosadiuk, together with his wife Rita Țvic, were intermediaries on the takeover by Ilan Shor of the Moldovan TV channels – Euro TV and Alt TV in the summer of 2014. Photos of Novosadiuc, Țvic and Șor appear on social networks at several events, but also at the “Sputnik” agency, where Shor held practically all his press conferences.

The name of Vladimir Novosadiuc and Rita Țvic appear in the Kroll 2 Report, which targets Ilan Shor as the main beneficiary of the stolen billion from the banks in the Republic of Moldova.

The head office of the “Sputnik” agency has the same legal address as “Klassika Media” – the company which operates the TV channels “Euro TV” and “Alt TV”.

Sputnik.md often manipulates public opinion, indicating references to sources that use only one source of information. The portal shows selectivity when reflecting events and does not present all relevant details, maintaining a favorable image of certain subjects.

Some US agencies mention that the editorials appearing on Sputnik are obviously written in favor of the Kremlin, but also the pro-Russian comments seem to be written by paid or signed by names of people that even do not exist. Sputnik.md portal publishes periodicals signed with false names. Sputnik.md uses these manipulations to sign various disinformation materials.

During the pre-election period and in the electoral campaign for the 2019 parliamentary elections in the Republic of Moldova, the Sputnik.md portal selectively published the campaign or news materials and omitted several events of public interest, especially those that could have brought out the party of socialists in a bad light or the current government components. Moldova president Igor Dodon and Socialists Party was obviously the most favored.