RISE Moldova: A Russian lawyer connected to the State Duma is behind the “Salut MLD” portal
RISE Moldova identified Rinat Meșcerov, a 40-year-old Russian lawyer with close ties to the State Duma and connections to Russian special forces, as the man behind the propaganda site “Salut MLD.” Meșcerov previously served as president of the Supreme Political Council of Russia’s Social-Conservative Party and actively took part in pro-Kremlin political initiatives.
The portal salutmld.su, registered with the email address [email protected] (associated with Meșcherov), is used to launch public accusations against Chișinău politicians and judges involved in the cases of members controlled by oligarch Ilan Shor. The site does not provide information about the editorial team and promotes anti-Western messages.
The Russian project Salut started last year on Telegram, the day before Chișinău City Day and just a few days before the presidential elections and the referendum on Moldova’s accession to the European Union.
The group’s main message is “Moldova will be free!”, and in the description, the Telegram channel claims to represent the Moldovan Youth Movement “Salut”, apparently made up of volunteers. The first written posts were about changing the names of some streets in Chișinău to the old ones, associated with famous figures and Soviet symbols.
A few days after the second round of Moldova’s presidential elections last year, the website salutmld.su was launched, targeting a Moldovan audience and later linked to a Telegram group. The anonymous site published profiles of ruling party politicians, including MPs and ministers, alongside accusations and references to articles of the Penal Code they allegedly violated. Judges from the Constitutional Court who validated the referendum on Moldova’s EU membership were also listed.
Separate profiles were created for prosecutors and judges involved in the case of Gagauzia’s governor, Evghenia Guțul. The site’s “About” section claims it hosts a “list of traitors” accused of selling out Moldova.
The same list selectively included a member of Parliament from the opposition, Vlad Batrîncea, from the Party of Socialists of the Republic of Moldova (PSRM).
According to RISE Moldova’s investigation, the Russian-run portal is part of a coordinated pro-Russian propaganda network promoted on platforms like Telegram, VKontakte, and Мой Мир, and supported by fake accounts and groups with thousands of members.
The platform was described as a “dangerous provocation and disinformation tool” by Domnica Manole, President of the Constitutional Court; Natalia Ixari, spokesperson for the mayor of Chișinău; and Igor Zaharov, spokesperson for President Maia Sandu.
Who is Rinat Meșcerov?
Rinat Meșcerov is a politician and lawyer specializing in criminal and civil cases in the Moscow region. He previously managed several businesses and co-owned a military-patriotic club dedicated to the 81st Apsheronsk Infantry Regiment, alongside veterans from Russian special forces units. Meșcerov frequently commented on Putin’s war in Ukraine on social media, and his account on X (formerly Twitter) was suspended for violating platform rules.
