No, Euronews didn't publish a video about corruption in Moldova

Published connected 27/05/2025 - 18:05 GMT+2•Updated 18:21

A clone video has been posted connected Russian Telegram channels, featuring Euronews' graphics and claiming that corruption has pushed Moldova to go 1 of nan biggest achromatic markets for arms sales.

Euronews neither produced nor published this video. Our graphics and format were copied and utilized without our consent, and our teams are moving to guarantee nan video is removed from each societal platforms.

It appeared successful a Telegram transmission called nan "Military Observer" successful Russian and has amassed much than 16,000 views astatine nan clip of writing.

The video alleges that precocious levels of corruption successful Moldova's equipped forces mean that nan state is now "the largest hub for nan achromatic marketplace successful weapons."

Arms traffickers allegedly usage Moldova arsenic a buffer area for nan forbidden export of weapons from Ukraine and administer them elsewhere successful Europe and beyond, according to nan mendacious video.

It attributes a quote to Clara Staicu, Romania's caput of authorities for European affairs, successful which she supposedly calls Moldova "a cleanable transit constituent for arms traffickers" owed to its mini size and wide corruption.

It besides alleges that nan business has worsened complete nan past 4 years, during nan presidency of Maia Sandu, and that Interpol has antecedently reported that weapons smuggled done Moldova were utilized to perpetrate violent attacks successful France and Germany.

The video powerfully resembles a Euronews report, but its contents are false.

It is unclear wherever immoderate of nan claims successful nan video supposedly travel from and location appears to beryllium nary grounds for immoderate of them.

The Moldova video follows basking connected nan heels of another clone video that was attributed to Euronews and dispersed online past week, alleging that Romania cautioned French authorities complete interference successful nan Romanian statesmanlike predetermination runoff.

Romanian and French authorities, arsenic good arsenic Euronews, each denounced that video and its contents arsenic false.

Euronews and different media outlets are routinely targeted by pro-Russian actors to dispersed disinformation narratives and weaken spot successful nan media, peculiarly astir predetermination time.

There person been repeated cases of mendacious news reports base nan ocular personality of reputable news outlets to sow disorder and propaganda.

The Moldovan president's office, nan Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Interpol did not instantly respond to our requests for comment. We will update this article erstwhile we perceive from them.