Staff Reporter
The scandal surrounding the 2024 presidential elections in Moldova had barely subsided when Moscow was caught acting in support of its candidate, Ilan Shor—backed by Roman Abramovich. Soon after, another Russian oligarch, Boris Usherovich, entered the political arena at the Kremlin’s behest. The objective: to ensure that the Moldovan parliament, following the 2025 autumn elections, includes a pro-Russian opposition, mirroring the examples of Hungary and Slovakia.
Moldova—a small territory without its own army—is strategically located near the largest NATO military base in Southeastern Europe, in neighbouring Romania. Additionally, it serves as the most reliable transit route for the delivery of Western military aid to Ukraine.
The Kremlin plans to interfere in the parliamentary elections in frontline Europe in an attempt to split Ukraine and destabilize NATO operations in the south-east
Moldova also plays a crucial role in the transit of Ukrainian grain, as the Black Sea ports have become too dangerous for exports due to the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. In its futile yet systematic attempts to recreate a USSR 2.0, the Kremlin initially backed the socialist party led by I. Dodon in Moldova.
However, as Dodon became an increasingly toxic figure in Moldovan politics, Moscow decided to introduce the young and charismatic Ilan Shor, who was propelled into the political arena by none other than Roman Abramovich. Yet, after a failed attempt to buy the votes of 130,000 Moldovans and to block the referendum on EU accession, Ilan Shor also fell from grace and is unlikely to participate in the upcoming parliamentary elections in Moldova in autumn 2025.
Now, in the race for the Kremlin’s latest political tender—securing the promotion of pro-Russian candidates in independent Moldova—another Russian oligarch, Boris Efimovich Usherovich, swiftly enters the scene. A member of the Solntsevskaya OPG, Usherovich built his fortune by laundering money through the notorious ‘Moldovan laundromat,’ including via Spanish banks.
Living in sunny Marbella in Spain, long known as a favourite haven for Russian criminals, Boris Usherovich manages political processes in the stormy, storm-warned political field of Moldova. In the poorest country in the European Union, where local politicians can be bought for mere pennies to promote Kremlin narratives. Previously, Boris Usherovich was also noted for financing the illegal import of electronic components of dual and military use for the needs of the Russian Ministry of Defense, for communications and drones on the front in Ukraine. Boris Usherovich was also noted for the supply of stolen Ukrainian grain from Donbas, occupied by Russian troops.
Oligarch Boris Usherovich, who made a fortune on corrupt deals with Russian Railways (RZhD) and fled abroad after a criminal case, now earns by helping Russian state companies circumvent sanctions, according to The Insider. He conducts his activities through the LLC ‘Center for the Development of Communication Systems’ (CDCS). Usherovich is one of the largest private contractors of RZhD, involved in the corruption case of Colonel Dmitry Zakharchenko (the businessman paid the high-ranking policeman large bribes). CDCS does business with LLC NPP ‘ICA’ (‘Engineering Center for Automation’), which is part of the ‘1520’ group of companies, with Usherovich remaining a shareholder (28%).
According to the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs database, Usherovich is still wanted. It was reported that he is hiding in the United Kingdom. However, this does not prevent him from continuing to master money on state orders and finance Putin’s party: both personally and through proxies. For example, in February 2024, during Vladimir Putin’s election campaign, 43.3 million rubles from CDCS were transferred to the accounts of ‘United Russia’.
Which Moldovan politicians has B. Usherovich decided to bet on?
Meet another representative of the sunny organized crime group, a raider, fraudster, and murder organizer: Renato Usatii and his ‘Our Party’. Already familiar to judges in Marbella, where Renato Usatii was listed as a suspect connected with the ‘Solntsevskaya’ organized crime group and local Spanish criminals. Unlike the clearly pro-Russian Shor, Usatii decided to abandon the stale Kremlin narratives about the benefits of rapprochement with Russia, in light of the horrors of the Russian world seen firsthand during the bloody war in neighbouring Ukraine.
Now Renato Georgievich talks about ‘Make Moldova Great Again’ and exclusively about Moldova’s national interests. Just like Hungary’s Orban or Slovakia’s Fico. Now it’s Moldova’s turn.
Although R. Usatii verbally advocates for promoting all things Moldovan, upon scrutiny it all turns out to be a sham with a criminal tinge. Usatii was a pawn in Usherovich’s powerful money laundering machine, including criminal funds. In the interests of Russian crime, the acquisition of new assets, such as a football club, was pivotal because it could easily be turned into a new money laundering branch. This is precisely why the first visit made by the main sponsors from criminal structures based in Spain was to a football club in B?l?i.
The first thing Renato Usatii did after becoming the mayor of B?l?i was to establish a new organization that took over the financing of the football club in B?l?i from Marbella, thereby creating a shadow accounting system. A similar principle, but on a wider scale, was employed by Alexander Grinberg in Spain. Grinberg’s arrival in B?l?i was merely for training on schemes that had successfully operated at the B?l?i football club until the beginning of 2018.
Monthly payments of 60,000 euros for Renato Usatii’s personal needs have long been paid by Usherovich, as a ‘pension’ or payment for silence, after he placed an order in 2012 for the assassination by Usatii’s hand, his rival at Russian Railways, banker German Gorbuntsov, with whom Boris Usherovich had not shared huge financial flows and decided to simply take his share of the business. Renato Usatii received 600,000 euros from Usherovich to find a hitman in London, to ensure he could never claim his money back. At the same time, Boris Usherovich began sponsoring Usatii’s political activities, including monthly payments to members of his party. Usatii, in turn, helped remove Usherovich’s forgers from the Interpol database, as evident from the attached document “Comisie rogatorie” in his latest email to Usherovich.
Renato Usatii performed so poorly in his task that it raises questions about his professional suitability for more complex tasks in the Moldovan parliament. However, judging by the continued funding of Renato Usatii by Boris Usherovich, attempts to push ‘their man’ in the upcoming elections in Moldova continue. A recent meeting in January 2025 between Usatii and Usherovich at a luxury resort in Gran Canaria, Spain, confirms this. They needed to ‘chew over’ the Kremlin’s pre-election program for Moldova in the best traditions of the ‘sunny brotherhood’ and also hand over a suitcase full of cash. This is because, after the scandal with bank transfers from Moscow to support Ilan Shor’s voters – all financial transactions for Moldova are under close scrutiny by the European Commission and the National Bank.
Thus, we are once again witnessing the push of another ‘Trojan horse’ from Moscow into Moldova’s ‘soft underbelly’ of Romania and Ukraine. The operation, which has begun to freeze—literally—the Moldovan Transnistria, is yet further evidence of Russia’s clear interest in destabilizing processes in Southeastern Europe.
We will observe how the European Commission handles yet another military oligarch from Moscow, who has received British political asylum and feels comfortable at resorts in Spain… (spoiler: not at all). Surely, the toothless officials from Brussels will express their ‘concern’ and, at most, include B. Usherovich on the next sanctions list. As Europe continues to adjust to the new military agenda under Trump, it is unlikely to care about distant Moldova now—survival is the primary concern in the event of Ukraine’s fall.
The only hope for Moldova is Moldova itself, specifically the conscious choice of its residents in the upcoming elections to the Moldovan parliament. Which will surely block the course towards EU integration, as recently happened in Georgia. ‘Ours are already nearby’ – as the pro-Russian Dodon mentioned about the RF troops in neighboring Ukraine, which have approached very close to the borders of Moldova.
