This investigation reveals how a Moscow-funded disinformation network in Romania has spent years leveraging media, influencers and advertisers to sway public opinion and elections toward extremist candidates and parties.
The journalists show that AdNow, a London-based digital marketing company with deep ties to Moscow, has become a key player in Russian disinformation efforts targeting Europe and the West. Romania has emerged as a testing ground for these operations, which involve political interference, the promotion of conspiracy theories and large-scale disinformation campaigns.
AdNow played a significant role in Romania’s 2024 presidential election by supporting pro-Russian candidate Călin Georgescu, whose campaign benefited from covert funding and media manipulation, the investigation reveals.
In recent years, the native advertising company has funneled millions of euros into Romania’s media landscape. The beneficiaries of this money include far-right publications, conspiracy theorists and influencers promoting pseudoscience and denying evidence-based medicine.
Following the financial trail leads directly to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s political PR machine, which has generated billions of online interactions in Romania since 2016 through disinformation and misinformation campaigns.
Dès mardi, Intelligence Online et le journal roumain Snoop ont dévoilé le vaste dispositif d’influence en ligne mis en place par des opérateurs russes en Roumanie. L’enquête, en accès libre, est à retrouver ici. 3/3 https://t.co/6BkmjinanR
— Intelligence Online (@Intel_Online_Fr) December 6, 2024
The journalists show that operating from the same London base as AdNow, another company, Bunelu Ltd, has deepened Russia’s information warfare efforts in Romania. This entity helped establish Tracia Unita, a society of conspiracy theorists with close ties to the Russian Embassy.
Beneath their rhetoric lies a far-reaching financial scandal: a fake investment of €300 million laundered through a shell company in an illegal scheme now under investigation by Romanian authorities.
Tracia Unita’s activities are steeped in extremist ideologies, including antisemitism, as well as astrology and the promotion of alternative medicine over science.
This toxic blend of rhetoric helped pave the way for pro-Russian candidate Georgescu to advance to the second round of Romania’s presidential election in November 2024 – though the Constitutional Court later annulled the result on the grounds that a Russian influence operation had swayed the vote.
The investigation into these connections has not been without risk. The lead reporter faced threats from members of the conspiracy network. These threats prompted the Romanian General Prosecutor’s Office to open a criminal case, which has since been merged with the broader investigation into Russia’s financial and strategic backing of Georgescu’s candidacy.