Ilan Shor again in the headlines as Moldova eyes pro-Russian influence amid elections; fugitive oligarch, former Șor Party boss, now in Russia.
Vladimir Plahotniuc has been convicted by a Moldovan court on charges including creating a criminal organization, fraud, and money laundering. He is implicated in a 2014 $1 billion bank theft that destabilized Moldova. The court's decision marks a milestone in judicial reform, but his appeal is pending. The story is current as of April 28, 2026.