In our previous article, we examined the Kremlin’s efforts to undermine Moldova’s pro-European trajectory, highlighting the influence of Ilan Shor and his allies involvement during the October 2024 presidential elections and the concurrent referendum on EU integration. This article continues our investigation, focusing on Yuriy Gudilin, a Russian FSB officer and political technologist, and Ion Ceban, a Moldovan politician with ties to Shor, as we explore their roles in shaping the Alternativa Bloc, a political alliance that is rebranding itself as a pro-European force despite its Kremlin-backed roots.
Figure 1: Gudilin’s circuits, new reveals coming soon.
Moscow’s Man in Chisinau: The Story of Yuriy Gudilin
Yuriy Gudilin may not be a household name, but his influence in Moldovan politics is significant. Born in Lviv, Ukraine, Gudilin is a Moscow resident who worked as a power grid engineer for MRSK Center, a Russian power grid company, in 2018-2019.
Gudilin’s activities, however, reveal a more complex picture. He has frequently travelled between Moscow and Chisinau around election periods, and is an active FSB officer and political technologist.
In 2020, Gudilin’s involvement in Moldovan politics became public when he was identified as part of a team of Russian consultants advising Socialist Party leader and then-President Igor Dodon during the presidential elections. A joint project released at the time by investigative journalism organizations RISE Moldova and the Dossier Center includes photographs of Gudilin and his Russian colleagues meeting with multiple high-ranking Socialist Party (PSRM) members. These meetings took place at the party’s headquarters and at other locations in Chisinau, including the presidential administration’s office.
As Gudilin’s activities became more public, it became clear that his influence extended far beyond his role as a consultant, and that he was a key player in Russia’s efforts to shape Moldova’s political landscape.
Short Circuiting Democracy
In 2022, the U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on Gudilin and two other Russian nationals, Olga Grak and Leonid Gonin, for their attempts to influence the outcomes of the presidential elections in 2020 and the parliamentary elections in 2021.
According to a statement released by the Treasury, when Gudilin and Grak met with the Socialist Party politicians in 2020, they pressured them to follow their guidance, promising to encourage the Kremlin to favorably consider future requests for assistance from the Moldovan government. Gudilin also orchestrated the illicit transfer of funds from Russia to support Dodon’s campaign, using the cryptocurrency Tether. According to the Moldovan security service, he was recruiting new members for his espionage and influence networks, using cryptocurrency as payment. Gudilin is also known to have worked with the Kremlin’s infamous Internet Research Agency on a plan to spread propaganda online.
Gudilin’s involvement in Moldovan politics predates his 2020 media exposure. In 2019, Igor Dodon inadvertently revealed Gudilin’s presence at a PSRM headquarters celebration for Ion Ceban’s mayoral win, taking a video on his phone that showed Gudilin among the known Russian political consultants present at the gathering.
Gudilin remains active in Moldovan politics, reportedly continuing to work on behalf of the FSB in anticipation of the 2025 parliamentary election. In our next article we will look further into just how far the Kremlin electrician’s wirings have spread.
The Power Behind the Alternativa Bloc
Ion Ceban, the current Chisinau mayor and former Dodon spokesman, has previously been known for his left-wing, pro-Russia, and anti-EU views. In 2014, he participated in a Brussels protest against the EU Association Agreement and backed an illegally held referendum in Gagauzia, where the majority voted against closer EU ties. However, Ceban appears to have experienced a dramatic and unlikely shift in ideology, having since founded the center-left, pro-European National Alternative Movement (MAN) in December 2021.
Moldovans are right to be skeptical of Ceban’s rebranding. According to the US Treasury, Gudilin and his team, having failed to sway the 2020 and 2021 elections, recognized the declining support for overtly pro-Russia politicians. They adapted their strategy, offering to help Ceban establish the National Alternative Movement party as a more subtle means of advancing Moscow’s interests.
The Alternativa Bloc, a new political alliance, was announced in January 2025, comprising Ceban’s National Alternative Movement, the Party of Development and Consolidation of Moldova (PDCM), the Common Action Party – Civil Congress (PAC-CC), and former presidential candidate Alexandr Stoianoglo. This alliance has been gaining popularity among Moldovan voters.
While the Alternativa Bloc presents itself as a moderate, pro-European coalition, others have started to correctly recognize it as ‘the Kremlin’s alternative’.
The Investigation Continues
We have uncovered a complex network of connections between the Alternativa Bloc, Yuriy Gudilin, and Ion Ceban, further revealing ongoing efforts to influence Moldova’s political trajectory. In our next article, we will examine Ceban’s ties to Moscow and investigate the Russian connections of other key Alternativa Bloc members, including their dealings with Gudilin.
