OFAC Targets Russian Oligarchs, Entities Over 'Malign Influence'
The Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned nine people and 12 entities this week in an effort to counter "persistent malign influence campaigns and systemic corruption in Moldova" by Russian actors, the agency said.
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The individuals are oligarchs and former officials "widely recognized for capturing and corrupting Moldova’s political and economic institutions," OFAC said. The agency said they act as "instruments" of Russia’s global influence campaign and include former Moldovan government official Vladimir Plahotniuc, who engaged in "state capture" by exerting control over and manipulating key sectors of Moldova’s government, OFAC said. The sanctioned entities include various companies owned by the oligarchs and officials.
“The sanctions imposed today expose not only Russia’s covert strategy in Moldova, but also demonstrate how corruption undermines the rule of law,” said Brian Nelson, Treasury's undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence. “Russian influence operations attempt to exploit weaknesses in target countries in order to destabilize them from within. The United States continues to support Moldovan efforts to combat corruption and counter Russian influence.”