Polina Nikolskaya
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Polina Nikolskaya
@reporter-polina.bsky.social
Investigative journalist focused on #Russia and CIS countries. Currently at @Reuters.com Opinions are all my own.

https://www.instagram.com/polina_reports
I watched several times, thank you
November 14, 2025 at 10:57 AM
ужасно!
October 11, 2025 at 1:45 PM
Created parish channels are ramping up activity before Sunday’s election, fueled by the TG-channel Sare și Lumină.

Sare şi Lumiña printed papers are also shared in churches with QR-codes to TG and TikTok

The same RU operatives are under Sare şi Lumiña, we found 8/8
September 26, 2025 at 11:41 AM
in exchange for the money they were expected to create social media channels for their parishes in Moldova to warn their flocks about the dangers of the pro-Western government's pursuit of closer European integration, said Bicu 7/8
September 26, 2025 at 11:41 AM
Some priests received debit cards issued by a RU sanctioned state bank Promsvyazbank which were handed to them in a monastery by non-church people. And received several hundred dollars on them, more than double the country’s average monthly income (my photo from Balti hospital church) 6/8
September 26, 2025 at 11:41 AM
They pushed Moldovan priests during the trips to Russia to open the TG-channels of their parishes. The Russians are involved in operating and supplying content for the social media campaign at these channels during the year before the parliamentary elections, like this 5/8
September 26, 2025 at 11:41 AM
But ahead of these trips were several political operatives and social media specialists affiliated with the ruling United Russia party and Putin-backed People's Front. We found their names. 4/8
September 26, 2025 at 11:41 AM
Hundreds of Moldovan priests accepted the all-expenses-paid trips to Moscow between June and October 2024, 15 clerics, including four who attended the pilgrimages, told us. And an analysis of photos and videos of the visits posted online confirmed 3/8
September 26, 2025 at 11:41 AM
The Church is the most trusted country's institution, authorities claimed. The Orthodox church, followed by the bulk of Moldova’s 2.4 million population, is subordinate to the Moscow Patriarchate 2/8
September 26, 2025 at 11:41 AM