{"id":457,"date":"2024-04-29T11:36:47","date_gmt":"2024-04-29T10:36:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cicd.md\/?p=457"},"modified":"2024-05-14T13:12:52","modified_gmt":"2024-05-14T12:12:52","slug":"rusian_propaganda","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cicd.md\/?p=457","title":{"rendered":"Russian Propaganda Dominates Moldova\u2019s Gagauzia. Pro-Kremlin narratives rule the information space in an autonomous region with deeply rooted ties to Moscow."},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"457\" class=\"elementor elementor-457\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-24e594de elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"24e594de\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-no\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-33 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-5679f843\" data-id=\"5679f843\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5d463fca elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"5d463fca\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/cicd.md\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"80\" src=\"https:\/\/cicd.md\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/icdc-ro-logo-horizontal-color-300x80.png\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium wp-image-311\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cicd.md\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/icdc-ro-logo-horizontal-color-300x80.png 300w, https:\/\/cicd.md\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/icdc-ro-logo-horizontal-color-1024x274.png 1024w, https:\/\/cicd.md\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/icdc-ro-logo-horizontal-color-768x206.png 768w, https:\/\/cicd.md\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/icdc-ro-logo-horizontal-color-1536x412.png 1536w, https:\/\/cicd.md\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/icdc-ro-logo-horizontal-color-2048x549.png 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-33 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-4f1ab595\" data-id=\"4f1ab595\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-26194b85 elementor-widget__width-initial elementor-widget elementor-widget-ekit-nav-menu\" data-id=\"26194b85\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"ekit-nav-menu.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<nav class=\"ekit-wid-con ekit_menu_responsive_tablet\"\n\t\t\tdata-hamburger-icon=\"\"\n\t\t\tdata-hamburger-icon-type=\"icon\"\n\t\t\tdata-responsive-breakpoint=\"1024\">\n\t\t\t            <button class=\"elementskit-menu-hamburger elementskit-menu-toggler\"  type=\"button\" aria-label=\"hamburger-icon\">\n                                    <span class=\"elementskit-menu-hamburger-icon\"><\/span><span class=\"elementskit-menu-hamburger-icon\"><\/span><span class=\"elementskit-menu-hamburger-icon\"><\/span>\n                            <\/button>\n            <div id=\"ekit-megamenu-menu-1\" class=\"elementskit-menu-container elementskit-menu-offcanvas-elements elementskit-navbar-nav-default ekit-nav-menu-one-page-no ekit-nav-dropdown-hover\"><ul id=\"menu-menu-1\" class=\"elementskit-navbar-nav elementskit-menu-po-center submenu-click-on-icon\"><li id=\"menu-item-323\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-home menu-item-323 nav-item elementskit-mobile-builder-content\" data-vertical-menu=750px><a href=\"https:\/\/cicd.md\/\" class=\"ekit-menu-nav-link\">Home<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-320\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-has-children menu-item-320 nav-item elementskit-dropdown-has relative_position elementskit-dropdown-menu-default_width elementskit-mobile-builder-content\" data-vertical-menu=750px><a href=\"https:\/\/cicd.md\/?page_id=317\" class=\"ekit-menu-nav-link ekit-menu-dropdown-toggle\">About us<i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"icon icon-plus elementskit-submenu-indicator\"><\/i><\/a>\n<ul class=\"elementskit-dropdown elementskit-submenu-panel\">\n\t<li id=\"menu-item-342\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-342 nav-item elementskit-mobile-builder-content\" data-vertical-menu=750px><a href=\"https:\/\/cicd.md\/?page_id=340\" class=\" dropdown-item\">Our members<\/a><\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-1213\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-custom menu-item-object-custom menu-item-has-children menu-item-1213 nav-item elementskit-dropdown-has relative_position elementskit-dropdown-menu-default_width elementskit-mobile-builder-content\" data-vertical-menu=750px><a href=\"https:\/\/cicd.md\/?page_id=353\" class=\"ekit-menu-nav-link ekit-menu-dropdown-toggle\">Newsroom<i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"icon icon-plus elementskit-submenu-indicator\"><\/i><\/a>\n<ul class=\"elementskit-dropdown elementskit-submenu-panel\">\n\t<li id=\"menu-item-355\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-355 nav-item elementskit-mobile-builder-content\" data-vertical-menu=750px><a href=\"https:\/\/cicd.md\/?page_id=353\" class=\" dropdown-item\">News<\/a>\t<li id=\"menu-item-361\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-361 nav-item elementskit-mobile-builder-content\" data-vertical-menu=750px><a href=\"https:\/\/cicd.md\/?page_id=359\" class=\" dropdown-item\">Events<\/a><\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-339\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-339 nav-item elementskit-mobile-builder-content\" data-vertical-menu=750px><a href=\"https:\/\/cicd.md\/?page_id=332\" class=\"ekit-menu-nav-link\">Contact us<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-349\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-349 nav-item elementskit-mobile-builder-content\" data-vertical-menu=750px><a href=\"https:\/\/cicd.md\/?page_id=347\" class=\"ekit-menu-nav-link\">Resources<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul><div class=\"elementskit-nav-identity-panel\"><a class=\"elementskit-nav-logo\" href=\"https:\/\/cicd.md\" target=\"\" rel=\"\"><img src=\"https:\/\/cicd.md\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/granti.png\" title=\"\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" \/><\/a><button class=\"elementskit-menu-close elementskit-menu-toggler\" type=\"button\">X<\/button><\/div><\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementskit-menu-overlay elementskit-menu-offcanvas-elements elementskit-menu-toggler ekit-nav-menu--overlay\"><\/div>        <\/nav>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-33 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-23ad8d28 elementor-hidden-tablet elementor-hidden-mobile\" data-id=\"23ad8d28\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-50056ad elementor-widget elementor-widget-button\" data-id=\"50056ad\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"button.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-button-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-button elementor-button-link elementor-size-sm\" href=\"#\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-text\">login<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-285464b elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"285464b\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-5c7890d7\" data-id=\"5c7890d7\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5fc6309a elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"5fc6309a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Russian Propaganda Dominates Moldova\u2019s Gagauzia. Pro-Kremlin narratives rule the information space in an autonomous region with deeply rooted ties to Moscow.<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7bde4f75 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"7bde4f75\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Share Post :<\/span>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5daad988 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"5daad988\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"512\" height=\"341\" src=\"https:\/\/cicd.md\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/t3.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-medium_large size-medium_large wp-image-458\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cicd.md\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/t3.jpeg 512w, https:\/\/cicd.md\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/t3-300x200.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 512px) 100vw, 512px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7f93f3ec elementor-drop-cap-yes elementor-drop-cap-view-default elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"7f93f3ec\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;drop_cap&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When Moldovan special forces held military exercises this summer in Comrat, the administrative centre of the autonomous region of Gagauzia, a local website claimed that the drill was aimed at \u201crestoring order\u201d in the southern region and scaring residents.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The August 17 practice was in fact part of nationwide exercises, but the false assertion of an attack to Gagauzia\u2019s autonomy found fertile soil in the pro-Russian disinformation space.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The story originated on a website owned by Victor Petrov, a local deputy close to regional governor Irina Vlah, and was also shared by Russian TV personality and propagandist Vladimir Solovyov on his Telegram channel.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pro-Russian sentiments are high in the Autonomous Territorial Unit of Gagauzia (ATUG), with pervasive Kremlin propaganda amplifying claims that the central government is controlled by the West.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWe have got a situation where some of our fellow citizens perceive the world not only through Russian television channels, but also through the stereotypes that have been instilled in these people,\u201d Oazu Nantoi, a former journalist and lawmaker with the ruling Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS), told IWPR.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The pro-Kremlin narrative increased after the victories of pro-European Maia Sandu in the 2020 presidential vote and PAS in the 2021 parliamentary elections, and became even stronger after Russia\u2019s full-scale invasion of Ukraine<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In early September, when Sandu visited Gagauzia, local government deputies accused her of being a pawn of the West unwilling to build good relations with Russia, amid an energy and economic crisis which has hit the already impoverished area hard and worsened feelings of injustice.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">During her <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=sLSlyQdaPYo\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">address<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to the UN general assembly on September 21, Sandu named <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.zdg.md\/en\/?p=9650\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">propaganda and disinformation<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> as among the key challenges her country of 2.6 million faced.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Moldovan government has been trying to contain Russian propaganda for years. In 2017, the parliament voted in a bill banning Russian propaganda, enacted in 2018 after the constitutional court suspended then pro-Russia president Igor Dodon\u2019s veto powers. In January 2021, the parliament annulled the ban, making Russian broadcasters fully available. The restriction was then re-introduced in June in a back and forth that reflects the country\u2019s political polarisation.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Described by Moldova\u2019s opposition as \u201cinstituting censorship\u201d, the Informational Security lawstipulates that 50 per cent of content broadcast on TV stations must come from the EU, US and states that have ratified the Convention on Transfrontier Television.<\/span><\/p><p><b>DEEPLY ROOTED TIES WITH MOSCOW<\/b><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0Numbering 135,000, Gagauzs are a Turkic Orthodox Christian group and make up 80 per cent of the population of a region whose attachment to Russia has also strong historical roots.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIn the 1930-40s [when the region was under Romanian control] Romanian policemen were brutal, then the Soviets came and they were met like saviours,\u201d Georgy Leichu, vice-speaker of the Gagauzian parliament, told IWPR. \u201cThen, in the 1990s, a division of Russian soldiers was stationed in the city of Bolgrad [now in Ukraine] and they protected the Gagauzians. Thanks to them it was possible to avoid clashes with Moldovan volunteers who were moving south. These events have left their mark.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As the Soviet Union was in meltdown, Gagauzia announced it would break ties with Chisinau and declared independence. Unlike Moldova\u2019s breakaway region of Transnistria, the separation did not turn into an armed conflict and was resolved in late 1994, when an agreement over Gagauzia\u2019s autonomous status was reached.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Language remains a sensitive issue. Amid the hardship that followed the USSR\u2019s dissolution, people continued to use Russian to communicate. Today about 95 per cent of schools have Russian as a language of instruction and Gagauz is listed as a vulnerable language.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cGagauzians mostly speak Russian,\u201d Leichu added. \u201cOver the past ten years, many local residents moved to Russia, they got married and settled there and this also had its impact on relations with Russia.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although workers increasingly opt to seek employment in Europe, not least because of the steady fall of the value of the rouble, buses continue to leave from Comrat to Russia three times a week.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There is one regional public television, GRT, which broadcasts largely in Russian, with some programs in Gagauz and Romanian. The few private TV channels are almost entirely in Russian. Vesti Gagauzii, the main newspaper financed from the regional budget, publishes only in Russian.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A 2021 <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/ipp.md\/2021-11\/sondaj-ipp-perceptiile-locuitorilor-din-autonomia-gagauza-si-raionul-taraclia-cu-privire-la-situatia-socio-economica-si-politica-din-republica-moldova\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">poll<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> by the Chisinau-based Institute of Public Politics found that 90 per cent of Gagauzia\u2019s residents consumed news from Russian-language media outlets, which are controlled either directly by the Kremlin or by the pro-Moscow Socialist Party (PSRM). About 62 per cent of respondees expressed their confidence in Russian-language news.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The older generation, who often miss the Soviet era, is particularly vulnerable to disinformation.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nikolay Kotrobay, a pensioner from the village of Dezginzha, regularly watches pro-Kremlin channels like Russia-1. He supports Russia\u2019s invasion of Ukraine.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI grew up in the Soviet Union, I served in the army. Even then, I realised what the Ukrainians were like, cunning and unreliable,\u201d he told IWPR.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201c[Ukrainians] are nationalists. I worked in western Ukraine for two years in the 2000s. Shopkeepers would not reply to me if I spoke in Russian, but would respond if my son, who studied there at the military academy, spoke in Ukrainian. Everything that is said on TV is true,\u201d he said, adding that his nephews live in Ukraine, but \u201cthey live in Lutsk, far from the frontline. And my relationship with them is not so close\u201d.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Young Gagauzians rarely watch TV but consume the same rhetoric.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><b><i>\u00a0\u00a0\u201cWe need to punish those who disseminate fake news and disinformation.&#8221;<\/i><\/b><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI mostly get information from social media like Telegram channels, rarely from Tik-Tok videos,\u201d 21-year-old Darya explained to IWPR. A student at Comrat State University, she is against the war in Ukraine but believes that the US is to blame for the conflict.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When asked how she identified whether a source was reliable or not, Darya replied that she considered \u201cthe number of subscribers\u201d. While acknowledging that she was exposed to propaganda, she still supported the narratives disseminated by the Russian authorities.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Moldova and Ukraine share a 1,220 kilometre-long border, of which 450 are with the breakaway region of Transnistria, and ties are historically solid. There are thousands of mixed families and many Moldovans head to Ukraine for work.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Natalia Kirillovskaya\u2019s relatives live in Uman, in central Ukraine, and she has been hosting Ukrainian refugees since the first days of the war.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI am careful with the information\u2026 I understand people who are caught in this trap,\u201d the Comrat resident told IWPR. \u201cMany do not think about what is going on around them, they only think that if they can earn money for the family, then everything will be fine. But in fact freedom matters, if you don\u2019t have freedom, you won\u2019t be able to earn money and live [fully] your life.<\/span><\/p><p><b>TACKLING PROPAGANDA<\/b><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Despite the national legislation, Gagauzia\u2019s 2000 regional media law allows cable network operators to obtaine licenses and operate under local regulations. Residents subscribing to cable networks can easily access pro-Russian narratives.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In July, the court of appeal annulled the Gagauzian law. Cable operators will be able to broadcast until December 31, 2022 but will then stop working, unless the Supreme Court upholds the Gagauzian legislation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Petru Macovei, executive director of the Independent Press Association of Moldova, said that media literacy skills were key to countering Russian propaganda, along with specific legal measures.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWe also need to punish those who disseminate fake news and disinformation, including the Gagauzian officials, especially those who do it deliberately in order to sow panic in society,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For media analyst Ion Bunduchi, erasing decades of exposure to the Kremlin\u2019s narrative could only be challenged when individuals realise they are being deceived.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cPropaganda can be banned by law and such measures will show some effectiveness, but only critical thinking gives certain results,\u201d he told IWPR.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-3c155200\" data-id=\"3c155200\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-inner-section elementor-element elementor-element-9c76c54 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"9c76c54\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-inner-column elementor-element elementor-element-65b8e9d8\" data-id=\"65b8e9d8\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;gradient&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7589bf25 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"7589bf25\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Trending Post<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-38e81af8 elementor-widget elementor-widget-elementskit-blog-posts\" data-id=\"38e81af8\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"elementskit-blog-posts.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"ekit-wid-con\" >        <div id=\"post-items--38e81af8\" class=\"row post-items\">\n                    <div class=\"col-lg-12 col-md-12\">\n\n                                    <div class=\"elementskit-post-card\">\n                        <div class=\"elementskit-entry-header\">\n                            \n                            \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"post-meta-list\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"meta-date\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"icon icon-calendar3\"><\/i>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"meta-date-text\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t30 April 2026\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"entry-title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/cicd.md\/?p=3058&#038;lang=ru\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\u0413\u0435\u043d\u0434\u0435\u0440\u043d\u0430\u044f \u0434\u0435\u0437\u0438\u043d\u0444\u043e\u0440\u043c\u0430\u0446\u0438\u044f \u0432 \u041c\u043e\u043b\u0434\u043e\u0432\u0435: \u043f\u0440\u0430\u043a\u0442\u0438\u0447\u0435\u0441\u043a\u043e\u0435 \u0440\u0443\u043a\u043e\u0432\u043e\u0434\u0441\u0442\u0432\u043e \u043f\u043e \u0437\u0430\u0449\u0438\u0442\u0435 \u0434\u0435\u043c\u043e\u043a\u0440\u0430\u0442\u0438\u0447\u0435\u0441\u043a\u043e\u0433\u043e \u0443\u0447\u0430\u0441\u0442\u0438\u044f\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div><!-- .elementskit-entry-header END -->\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementskit-post-body \">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                                                    <\/div><!-- .elementskit-post-body END -->\n                    <\/div>\n                \n            <\/div>\n                    <div class=\"col-lg-12 col-md-12\">\n\n                                    <div class=\"elementskit-post-card\">\n                        <div class=\"elementskit-entry-header\">\n                            \n                            \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"post-meta-list\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"meta-date\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"icon icon-calendar3\"><\/i>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"meta-date-text\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t30 April 2026\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"entry-title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/cicd.md\/?p=3053&#038;lang=ro\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tDezinformarea bazat\u0103 pe gen \u00een Republica Moldova: ghid practic pentru protejarea particip\u0103rii democratice\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div><!-- .elementskit-entry-header END -->\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementskit-post-body \">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                                                    <\/div><!-- .elementskit-post-body END -->\n                    <\/div>\n                \n            <\/div>\n                    <div class=\"col-lg-12 col-md-12\">\n\n                                    <div class=\"elementskit-post-card\">\n                        <div class=\"elementskit-entry-header\">\n                            \n                            \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"post-meta-list\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"meta-date\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"icon icon-calendar3\"><\/i>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"meta-date-text\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t30 April 2026\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"entry-title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/cicd.md\/?p=3046\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tGender-based disinformation in Moldova: A practical guide to protecting democratic participation\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div><!-- .elementskit-entry-header END -->\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementskit-post-body \">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                                                    <\/div><!-- .elementskit-post-body END -->\n                    <\/div>\n                \n            <\/div>\n                    <div class=\"col-lg-12 col-md-12\">\n\n                                    <div class=\"elementskit-post-card\">\n                        <div class=\"elementskit-entry-header\">\n                            \n                            \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"post-meta-list\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"meta-date\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"icon icon-calendar3\"><\/i>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"meta-date-text\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t27 April 2026\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"entry-title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/cicd.md\/?p=3041&#038;lang=ru\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\u041c\u0435\u0436\u0434\u0443\u043d\u0430\u0440\u043e\u0434\u043d\u044b\u0439 \u0444\u0435\u0441\u0442\u0438\u0432\u0430\u043b\u044c \u0436\u0443\u0440\u043d\u0430\u043b\u0438\u0441\u0442\u0438\u043a\u0438: \u0434\u0435\u043c\u043e\u043a\u0440\u0430\u0442\u0438\u0447\u0435\u0441\u043a\u0430\u044f \u0443\u0441\u0442\u043e\u0439\u0447\u0438\u0432\u043e\u0441\u0442\u044c \u041c\u043e\u043b\u0434\u043e\u0432\u044b \u0432 \u0443\u0441\u043b\u043e\u0432\u0438\u044f\u0445 \u0438\u043d\u0444\u043e\u0440\u043c\u0430\u0446\u0438\u043e\u043d\u043d\u043e\u0439 \u0432\u043e\u0439\u043d\u044b \u0420\u043e\u0441\u0441\u0438\u0438\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div><!-- .elementskit-entry-header END -->\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementskit-post-body \">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                                                    <\/div><!-- .elementskit-post-body END -->\n                    <\/div>\n                \n            <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n       <\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-64ac4308 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"64ac4308\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-126bc323 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"126bc323\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7917720 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"7917720\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/cicd.md\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"80\" src=\"https:\/\/cicd.md\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/icdc-ro-logo-horizontal-color-300x80.png\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium wp-image-311\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cicd.md\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/icdc-ro-logo-horizontal-color-300x80.png 300w, https:\/\/cicd.md\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/icdc-ro-logo-horizontal-color-1024x274.png 1024w, https:\/\/cicd.md\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/icdc-ro-logo-horizontal-color-768x206.png 768w, https:\/\/cicd.md\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/icdc-ro-logo-horizontal-color-1536x412.png 1536w, https:\/\/cicd.md\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/icdc-ro-logo-horizontal-color-2048x549.png 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5290b6bb e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"5290b6bb\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b08d55f e-grid e-con-boxed e-con e-child\" data-id=\"b08d55f\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-427d158c elementor-widget__width-initial elementor-widget elementor-widget-ekit-nav-menu\" data-id=\"427d158c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"ekit-nav-menu.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<nav class=\"ekit-wid-con ekit_menu_responsive_tablet\"\n\t\t\tdata-hamburger-icon=\"\"\n\t\t\tdata-hamburger-icon-type=\"icon\"\n\t\t\tdata-responsive-breakpoint=\"1024\">\n\t\t\t            <button class=\"elementskit-menu-hamburger elementskit-menu-toggler\"  type=\"button\" aria-label=\"hamburger-icon\">\n                                    <span class=\"elementskit-menu-hamburger-icon\"><\/span><span class=\"elementskit-menu-hamburger-icon\"><\/span><span class=\"elementskit-menu-hamburger-icon\"><\/span>\n                            <\/button>\n            <div id=\"ekit-megamenu-menu-1\" class=\"elementskit-menu-container elementskit-menu-offcanvas-elements elementskit-navbar-nav-default ekit-nav-menu-one-page-no ekit-nav-dropdown-hover\"><ul id=\"menu-menu-2\" class=\"elementskit-navbar-nav elementskit-menu-po-center submenu-click-on-icon\"><li class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-home menu-item-323 nav-item elementskit-mobile-builder-content\" data-vertical-menu=750px><a href=\"https:\/\/cicd.md\/\" class=\"ekit-menu-nav-link\">Home<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-has-children menu-item-320 nav-item elementskit-dropdown-has relative_position elementskit-dropdown-menu-default_width elementskit-mobile-builder-content\" data-vertical-menu=750px><a href=\"https:\/\/cicd.md\/?page_id=317\" class=\"ekit-menu-nav-link ekit-menu-dropdown-toggle\">About us<i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"icon icon-plus elementskit-submenu-indicator\"><\/i><\/a>\n<ul class=\"elementskit-dropdown elementskit-submenu-panel\">\n\t<li class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-342 nav-item elementskit-mobile-builder-content\" data-vertical-menu=750px><a href=\"https:\/\/cicd.md\/?page_id=340\" class=\" dropdown-item\">Our members<\/a><\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-custom menu-item-object-custom menu-item-has-children menu-item-1213 nav-item elementskit-dropdown-has relative_position elementskit-dropdown-menu-default_width elementskit-mobile-builder-content\" data-vertical-menu=750px><a href=\"https:\/\/cicd.md\/?page_id=353\" class=\"ekit-menu-nav-link ekit-menu-dropdown-toggle\">Newsroom<i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"icon icon-plus elementskit-submenu-indicator\"><\/i><\/a>\n<ul class=\"elementskit-dropdown elementskit-submenu-panel\">\n\t<li class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-355 nav-item elementskit-mobile-builder-content\" data-vertical-menu=750px><a href=\"https:\/\/cicd.md\/?page_id=353\" class=\" dropdown-item\">News<\/a>\t<li class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-361 nav-item elementskit-mobile-builder-content\" data-vertical-menu=750px><a href=\"https:\/\/cicd.md\/?page_id=359\" class=\" dropdown-item\">Events<\/a><\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-339 nav-item elementskit-mobile-builder-content\" data-vertical-menu=750px><a href=\"https:\/\/cicd.md\/?page_id=332\" class=\"ekit-menu-nav-link\">Contact us<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-349 nav-item elementskit-mobile-builder-content\" data-vertical-menu=750px><a href=\"https:\/\/cicd.md\/?page_id=347\" class=\"ekit-menu-nav-link\">Resources<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul><div class=\"elementskit-nav-identity-panel\"><a class=\"elementskit-nav-logo\" href=\"https:\/\/cicd.md\" target=\"\" rel=\"\"><img src=\"https:\/\/cicd.md\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/icdc-ro-logo-horizontal-color.png\" title=\"icdc-ro-logo-horizontal-color\" alt=\"icdc-ro-logo-horizontal-color\" decoding=\"async\" \/><\/a><button class=\"elementskit-menu-close elementskit-menu-toggler\" type=\"button\">X<\/button><\/div><\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementskit-menu-overlay elementskit-menu-offcanvas-elements elementskit-menu-toggler ekit-nav-menu--overlay\"><\/div>        <\/nav>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6e9a4d29 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"6e9a4d29\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>CICD (c) 2024<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Home About us Our members News Events Contact us Resource En Ro Ru X login Russian Propaganda Dominates Moldova\u2019s Gagauzia. Pro-Kremlin narratives rule the information space in an autonomous region with deeply rooted ties to Moscow. Share Post : When Moldovan special forces held military exercises this summer in Comrat, the administrative centre of the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":458,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"elementor_canvas","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-457","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cicd.md\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/457","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cicd.md\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cicd.md\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cicd.md\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cicd.md\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=457"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/cicd.md\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/457\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":701,"href":"https:\/\/cicd.md\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/457\/revisions\/701"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cicd.md\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/458"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cicd.md\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=457"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cicd.md\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=457"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cicd.md\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=457"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}