Inside Moldova Accusations against capital mayor Ion Ceban | Russian drone spotted by citizens | Council of Europe reunion in Moldova

Ziarul de Gardă, an award-winning Moldovan investigative newspaper and winner of the European Press Prize, is launching the first edition of its new English-language weekly roundup: Inside Moldova. Through this project, readers will discover the latest developments from Moldova – a European Union candidate country that was once part of the Soviet Union and is now making significant efforts to join the European Union.

Every Saturday, Ziarul de Gardă will offer international audiences insight into Moldova’s EU accession process, ongoing reforms, political scandals, and the justice system’s struggle to become better after years of oligarchic influence and political control.

On May 15, Moldova hosted the Summit of the Council of Europe, marking the end of the country’s six-month presidency. The event brought together more than 20 European delegations, including foreign affairs ministers and other high-ranking officials.

Meanwhile, over the past week, the Republic of Moldova has been shaken by political scandals, corruption cases, electoral tensions, and several other major developments.

Security and Europe: Russian drone flies over Moldova, EU accession talks advance, and Satoshi reaches the Eurovision final

The appearance of a Russian drone in Moldova’s airspace triggered security concerns and prompted emergency measures from the authorities. The aircraft crossed the northern and central regions of the country and was spotted above the municipality of Bălți and in the Strășeni district. In response, Moldova’s Ministry of Defence temporarily restricted access to airspace in several areas and monitored the drone’s trajectory until it reached the vicinity of Giurgiulești, near the border with Romania and Ukraine.

At the European level, EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos called on European Union member states to officially open all negotiation clusters with Moldova and Ukraine by July. According to her, the technical preparations have already been completed, and the first negotiation chapters could be opened during Cyprus’s presidency of the Council of the European Union.

On May 15, Moldova also hosted the reunion of the Council of Europe, marking the end of the country’s six-month presidency. More than 20 European delegations attended the event, including foreign affairs ministers and senior European officials.

Meanwhile, Member of the European Parliament Siegfried Mureșan stated in an interview that the European Union’s next multiannual budget will include billions of euros for Moldova, alongside the 40 billion euros planned for EU candidate countries. He also announced that he would ask for the overall fund to be increased by 10%. 

The European Union has disbursed 503 million euros to Moldova under the 1.9-billion-euro Growth Plan aimed at supporting the country’s EU accession and economic reforms. So far, Moldova has completed 28 out of 153 planned reforms for 2025–2027, while two reforms in the energy sector remain delayed. The delays concern the completion of the 400 kV Vulcănești-Chișinău power line and the liberalization of the gas market for large industrial consumers. Because of these delays, nearly 31 million euros in EU funding has not yet been disbursed. According to MP Marcel Spatari, Moldova still has the highest absorption rate among EU candidate countries, reaching 93% of planned targets. The funds are already financing infrastructure projects, business support programs, and the future regional hospital in Bălți.

In cultural news, Moldova’s representative at Eurovision 2026, Satoshi, qualified for the grand final of the competition in Vienna, alongside contestants from Romania and Ukraine.

Political scandals: accusations against Mayor Ion Ceban, upcoming elections, and calls for the Defence Minister’s resignation

The political scene in Chișinău was shaken by accusations made by former deputy mayor Irina Gutnic against Mayor Ion Ceban, leader of the „National Alternative Movement” (MAN), a party that presents itself as pro-European, despite Ceban’s past ties to the Socialist Party and his participation in several anti-EU protests. Just one day after being suspended from her positions as deputy mayor and director of „Apă-Canal,” Gutnic claimed that the MAN party, of which she had recently been a member, „had become an annex of City Hall” and that employees were pressured to attack the government on social media. She also announced that she would present evidence regarding alleged illegal actions committed by Ion Ceban, whom she described as „a danger to Chișinău and the Republic of Moldova.” The mayor rejected the accusations, saying the former deputy mayor was acting on someone else’s orders.

On May 17, new local elections will take place in ten localities across Moldova. In Orhei and Taraclia, cities left without mayors after the resignation of representatives linked to fugitive oligarch Ilan Șor, several candidates affiliated with his political network entered the race. In Orhei, the Northern Court of Appeal upheld the exclusion of Victor Perțu, candidate of the „Democracy at Home” party, after the Central Electoral Commission found evidence of a disguised electoral bloc connected to the former Șor Party, declared unconstitutional after authorities found proof of illegal financing from Kremlin and Russian involvement. Despite this, many residents of Orhei say they would still vote for Șor if he returned. In Taraclia, seven candidates are competing for mayor, some of whom have longstanding ties to Șor’s group. Ilan Șor was sentenced to 15 years in prison in the “Bank Fraud” case and is widely associated with large-scale electoral corruption schemes. Moldovan authorities accused his network of bribing more than 100 000 voters during the 2024 presidential elections and the referendum on EU accession, as well as supporting pro-Russian parties ahead of the 2025 parliamentary elections. Currently, Șor is hiding from moldovan justice in Russia, being protected by the Russian authorities. 

A separate scandal erupted after a tragic incident in a military unit in Cahul, where a 16-year-old teenager died after a 20-year-old soldier improperly handled a Glock pistol. Initially, authorities claimed the victim had suffered cardiac arrest, but forensic experts later confirmed that the teenager had been shot. The soldier was placed in pre-trial detention for 30 days, while prosecutors launched investigations into both the handling of weapons inside the military unit and the actions of doctors who provided first aid. Following the incident, several politicians called for the resignation of the Defence Minister.

Justice system: former judge with luxury properties, Durlești mayor back under house arrest, and Ilan Șor repays only 0.01% of court-ordered damages

Three years after fugitive oligarch Ilan Șor was sentenced to 15 years in prison in the “Bank Fraud” case, Moldovan authorities have recovered only 541,000 lei out of damages exceeding 5.2 billion lei – approximately 0.01% of the total amount. The recovery process has been slowed by numerous appeals filed by Șor’s lawyers, while seized assets cover only about 10% of the damages established by the court. So far, authorities have managed to sell only one car, while several auctions failed because of a lack of buyers. Investigators are now trying to identify Șor’s assets abroad. 

At the same time, the case regarding the concession of Chișinău International Airport continues to reveal new details. During court hearings, former Prime Minister Iurie Leancă admitted that he had used aircraft belonging to Nobil Air, a company owned by Ilan Șor, including for a flight to the final of the 2012 UEFA European Championship in Kyiv. The hearings also addressed expenses related to Leancă’s son’s studies in the United Kingdom, the rent of Moldova’s Embassy building in Moscow, and the use of diplomatic license plates in Russia. Prosecutors claim that the 50-year concession of Chișinău International Airport to the company “Avia Invest” caused damages exceeding 392 million lei to the Moldovan state.

Former judge Ghenadie Pavliuc also returned to public attention after an investigation made by Ziarul de Gardă revealed that, despite spending more than 20 years working in the public sector, he owns several luxury properties and major real estate investments. Ziarul de Gardă identified a luxury house in Chișinău’s Ciocana district listed for sale for 11.7 million lei. The property was built while Pavliuc served as a judge in Dondușeni and his wife worked as a doctor in the public healthcare system. Journalists also uncovered another property in Tohatin, as well as investments in the “HORA Village” residential complex near Valea Morilor.