The award from the “Friends for Friends” Foundation was presented on May 27 to CU SENS journalist Malvina Cojocari, who, in cooperation with Detektor and the organisation FactCheck from Bulgaria, showed how people from Moldova were trained in Russia, Serbia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina to use weapons and drones carrying explosive devices for use in mass unrest in Moldova.
“This award represents recognition for the work, responsibility, and passion I invest in journalism. It confirms that the stories I choose to tell reach people and have significance in society. At the same time, this recognition motivates me to continue practicing journalism with the same sincerity and dedication,” Cojocari told Detektor.
The programme “Investigation: Trained to Cause Chaos. Part II” ranks among the best media content published in Moldova during 2025. In addition to the “TV and Video Journalism” category, it was also nominated for the “Investigative Journalism” category.
The collaboration with the Moldovan media organisation CU SENS and Cojocari in 2025 resulted in the publication of two joint investigations, accompanied by TV programmes in summer that year.
One was published on Detektor.ba while another was simultaneously published on the CU SENS website.
The joint investigation revealed that at least eight Moldovan citizens between July and September 2024, were trained in Russian camps in Bosnia on how to use weapons and drones with explosive devices.
The plan was to provoke unrest in Moldova as part of mass disturbances organised by unidentified structures under Kremlin control.
Among the recruiters were people involved in vandalizing certain buildings in Paris in 2023. Some of the instructors and coordinators are linked to the Russian paramilitary group Wagner.
First place was awarded to colleagues from Ziarul de Gardă for the investigative series “The Kremlin’s Digital Army” and to the organisation Recorder for the investigation “The Largest Ghost Company, Confirmed by ANAF.”
Third place in the same category also went to Recorder for the piece “Alone. The Endless Nightmare of Abandoned Children.”
Out of a total of 300 submissions, a jury composed of 22 media experts selected 53 works published during 2025, which were nominated across nine competition categories: Journalism Debut, Local Media, TV and Video Journalism, Investigative Journalism, Feature Writing, Thematic Journalism, Innovation, Interview, and Civic Influencers.
The “Friends for Friends” Foundation is a Romanian nonprofit organisation focused on media work, social impact, education and creativity, which organised the awards in the investigative and TV journalism categories.