ZeroFox Physical Security Intelligence Daily Brief - March 29, 2024

ZeroFox Physical Security Intelligence Daily Brief - March 29, 2024

ZeroFox physical security experts collect, curate, and analyze information derived from open and proprietary sources for comprehensive context of the circumstances surrounding global events. Here is today’s daily roundup of major developments.

Brief Highlights

• Czech Counterintelligence Agency Warns of Russian Influence Campaign
• Violence in Haiti Escalates as Transitional Council Stalls
• Moldovan Constitutional Court Overturns Law Banning Șor Party

Czech Counterintelligence Agency Warns of Russian Influence Campaign

On March 28, the Czech Security Information Service (BIS) announced that it had uncovered a Russian effort to manipulate politicians in six European Union (EU) countries ahead of the EU parliamentary elections in June 2024. According to the counterintelligence agency, the nations targeted were Poland, Hungary, Germany, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands. In response, the Czech government has imposed sanctions on Viktor Medvedchuk and Artem Marchevsky, two Ukrainian entrepreneurs with Kremlin ties, as well as the company Voice of Europe, which is believed to be implicated in this influence campaign.

Violence in Haiti Escalates as Transitional Council Stalls

Violence has continued to deteriorate in Haiti, with gangs gaining more control of institutions and territory across the country. An international police force led mainly by African nations, meant to alleviate the violence and permit a political transition, has yet to arrive and will not do so until after a transitional council has been finalized. However, the transitional council, which initially began debating on March 11, has still not been formed, with local leaders arguing over who will be members of it. The Presidential Transitional Council will ultimately be made up of nine members from Haitian political parties and the private sector and will elect a new president and prime minister to run Haiti until new elections can be held. The longer Haiti remains without a Transition Council, the more difficult it will be for an international police force to regain territory from the gangs, and there are continued calls for a large military-led mission by the U.S. Gang leaders have threatened not to abide by the ruling of the transitional council, which they believe is corrupt, and further violence is highly likely.

Moldovan Constitutional Court Overturns Law Banning Șor Party

On March 26, Moldova's Constitutional Court reversed an October 2023 law banning the pro-Russian Șor Party from participating in elections. The Moldovan Parliament banned the Șor Party, led by exiled oligarch Ilan Șor, after authorities discovered evidence the party funded efforts to destabilize Moldova at the behest of Russia. In light of the court ruling, the Șor Party will now be allowed to participate in Moldova's presidential elections later this year. The Șor Party is highly likely to continue its cooperation with Russia to destabilize Moldova ahead of the elections, with the ultimate goal of ousting the ruling pro-Western government.