Overview

• Evghenia Gutul has led the autonomous Gagauzia region since 2023 as a prominent pro-Russian figure allied with exile financier Ilan Shor.
• Prosecutors said she funneled undeclared Russian funds into Ilan Shor’s banned party and accepted $2.5 million from a criminal network to coordinate vote-buying.
• The sentencing comes weeks before the September 28 vote in which pro-European and pro-Russian blocs are vying for control of parliament.
• Gutul has denied wrongdoing, vowed to appeal and was backed by the Kremlin’s claim that the decision was a politically motivated reprisal.
• Gagauzia’s semi-autonomous status combined with its pro-Russian populace gives its governor outsized influence in Moldova’s geopolitical balance.