Igor Gorgan

He was born on 2 August 1969 in Dubăsari. At the age of 18, he joined the Soviet Army, immediately attending the Combined Arms Higher Military School in Novosibirsk until 1991. Upon graduation, he immediately took up a position in an airborne division in Bolgrad, Ukraine. From 1992 to 1995, he was the commander of a guard company in the Ștefan cel Mare 2nd Motorized Infantry Brigade. From 2001 to 2002, he was a student at the United States Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth. Beginning in 2003, he took part in NATO-led international missions in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia and Iraq. After he returned to Moldova in 2006, he became an official in the training directorate. In 2013, he was appointed by President Timofti to the post of Chief of National Army General Staff. His dismissal would be the result of an ongoing feud with Defence Minister Anatol Șalaru.^[2] Upon his dismissal, he became an aide to defense ministers Eugen Sturza and Anatol Șalaru. From 2018 to 2019, he was Chief of Strategic Studies at the Alexandru cel Bun Military Academy. On 1 July 2019, days after the national constitutional crisis and the appointment of the Sandu Cabinet, he was made the Chief of the General Staff by President Igor Dodon, replacing Igor Cutie.^[3][4] Dodon presented Gorgan to the commander's office of the National Army on 8 July.^[5][6]

According to Russian media,^[7] Igor Gorgan was recruited by the Russian GRU and served as an informant from 2004 to 2024. Despite officially not working for the Defense Ministry, he had multiple officers reporting to him and was very active after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Gorgan was stripped of his rank and medals after news of his spying came out.^[8] He was charged with treason by Moldovan authorities on 19 September 2024.^[9] Igor Gorgan (the surname Gorgan being of Turkish origin meaning “gorgan” or “kurgan,” which refers to a burial mound or tumulus — a term spread across the Eurasian steppes) is the so-called general who, throughout his entire career, beginning at the age of 18, entered the Soviet military system and was thoroughly processed by the GRU services. After the collapse of the Soviet Union and the proclamation of the independence of the Republic of Moldova, he allegedly continued leaking Moldova’s state secrets to the new successor of the USSR — the Russian Federation. He reportedly worked together with his father, Alexandru Gorgan (it should be mentioned that all of Igor Gorgan’s positions were allegedly obtained thanks to his father’s influence; without him, Igor Gorgan would never have advanced beyond the rank of corporal in the military system, having always been an individual who abused power).

He is accused of disclosing all types of information — strategic, military, and political — regarding any activity taking place on the territory of the Republic of Moldova, being active even during the Transnistrian War. Their destructive activities, had a negative impact on both the future of the Republic of Moldova and the formation of the separatist Transnistrian Republic.

The “Russian spy” Igor Gorgan was reportedly known throughout the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Internal Affairs as a person who leaked state secrets, but due to his rank, no one could take measures against him.