One of Vladimir Putin’s most influential generals, who has been involved in the Russian invasion of Ukraine from its very onset, is Nicolai Cioban, a native of Moldova’s Gagauzian region.
Cioban was in charge of the paratroopers tasked with assaulting Ukraine’s capital and of a Russian military unit that was trained last year by the “Gods of War,” an elite force operating in Russia’s Kursk region and in the occupied part of Donbas, Ukraine.
A year ago, General Cioban stood close to Putin, listening carefully as the Kremlin leader announced the so-called “special military operation” in Ukraine and complained about NATO. On that same day, an anonymous user appearing to have military insight posted anti-Western messages in several Telegram groups:
“Moldova’s status… will be at the bottom of the European Union. Take into account even the geographic point of view… There will be NATO military bases, opium smokers, brothels, and military tourism in Moldova… Moldova’s sole hope comes when Russian troops advance towards Transnistria.”
RISE Moldova has found thousands of unsigned messages from this anonymous user on Telegram, lauding the breakaway Transnistrian enclave and the Gagauzian autonomy – Moldovan regions that lean towards Moscow – while frequently attacking Moldova’s government in Chisinau.
“I miss my native Gagauzia. They act all high and mighty… Soon, the Gagauzia-born Deputy Commander of Russia’s Airborne Forces, General Nicolai Cioban, will pay a visit… And he’ll set everything straight.”
General Nicolai Cioban near the former bodyguard of Vladimir Putin and elite servicement from the private military organization Capital of Arms. Collage by Roman FILIPPOV (RISE Moldova) / original picture from stolitsa71.ru
THE ANONYMOUS USER: GENERAL NICK
Nicolai Cioban, 52, from the Gagauzian village of Cazaclia, leads elite Russian troops and serves under higher-ranking General Mikhail Teplinsky, commander of Russia’s airborne forces, who’s been slapped with international sanctions for his role in the invasion and particularly for the massacre in Bucha, Ukraine.
At the end of the past decade, Vladimir Putin promoted Mr Cioban to the rank of Major-General. Shortly afterwards, Cazaclia local officials visited their village fellow in the city of Ivanovo, Russia.
Former Cazaclia mayor Anatoli Uzun claimed then that due to his position Mr Cioban would not be able to travel to Moldova for the next few years as he had done previously. We’ve found in social media pictures of General Cioban taken at the wedding of one of his brothers in Moldova.
Nicolai Cioban, interim commander of the airborne troops, and Putin’s aide Alexey Dyumin, discussing the drone production for the Russian army. Picture credit: tularegion.ru
While investigating Cioban’s military activity and assets, we uncovered several intriguing pieces of information about the man on an open data platform. We also found archived Telegram messages posted in an anonymous account whose user identified himself as General Nicolai Cioban.
This led us to the above-mentioned anonymous Telegram account, which was created in the spring of 2022 with the unique ID 5301256187 and the public nickname “Nick Nick.”
Initially, we attempted to verify if this Telegram account was linked to any of Cioban’s phone numbers – in vain, because the user had configured privacy settings to hide personal data.
Screenshot from Telegram.
We then used advanced data collection techniques on Telegram, including retrieving deleted comments, to profile the anonymous user. In total, we’ve extracted more than 3,000 messages posted in 54 groups across Moldova, Russia, and Ukraine.
Analyzing this avalanche of messages, we noticed that the user employed advanced military terminology, was active in military-focused groups, accurately described various types of military equipment, and frequently referred to military units where Nicolai Cioban had served or is currently serving.
A post from March 14, 2024, in the “Moldovan Wagon” chat group.
The same user provided detailed comments on Russian paratrooper operations in Ukraine, troops under Cioban’s command. Additionally, he praised Putin, who had promoted him, and in one comment, he ironically criticized his superior, General Teplinsky, in coded language. At the same time, the user’s emotional reactions stood out during political discussions in Moldovan groups about Gagauzia, the general’s homeland.
The user we were tracking revealed himself several times this year, directly referencing the name, position, and hometown of General Nicolai Cioban in his comments:
On March 14, 2024, Moldovan MP Alexandr Suhodolski, a Gagauzian, posted a statement in the Telegram group “Moldovan Wagon” (Молдавский вагон), which has 8,758 members. Suhodolski criticized the Moldovan government and claimed that „the hatred of the PAS Party is focused on the Gagauz autonomy […].”
Nick Nick commented under this post: „They act all high and mighty… Soon, the Gagauzia-born Deputy Commander of Russia’s Airborne Forces, General Nicolai Cioban, will pay a visit… And he’ll set everything straight.”
Later that day, in a group operated from the Transnistrian region (Приднестровский Лесник | Новости ПМР | Россия), an administrator shared two photos of former U.S. ambassador to Moldova Kent Logsdon after a visit to a university in Gagauzia. The caption contained mockery: „Look at the state of the blackboard and desks.”
Near midnight, Nick commented: „Don’t be sad… The native of Gagauzia, Deputy Commander of Russia’s Airborne Forces, General Nicolai Cioban, will visit soon… He’ll help with the desks and blackboards too.”
A post by Nick from March 15, 2024 in the “Moldovan Wagon” chat group.
On March 15, 2024, in the “Moldovan Wagon” group, a user commented under a post about MP Marina Tauber losing her parliamentary immunity, saying: „In Moldova, all the battle is about women. Power is in women’s hands, and the opposition too. Are there any men left?”
A message posted by Nick on April 6, 2024, in the “Carpathian Genius” chat group.
Nick replied: „There are! He promised to come soon and bring everyone to peace! I miss my native Gagauzia. The Deputy Commander of Russia’s VDV, General Nicolai Cioban.”
A post by Nick from March 15, 2024 in the “Moldovan Wagon” chat group.
On the same day, in another Transnistrian group with almost 1,000 members (КОММЕНТАРИЙ ЧБ), Nick posted: „The Deputy Commander of Russia’s VDV, a native of Gagauzia, General Nicolai Cioban!!! He misses his homeland… He will come soon and show people their place!”
On April 6, 2024, a video featuring former Romanian President Emil Constantinescu was shared in two Telegram groups: “Moldovan Wagon” and “Genius of the Carpathians Chat” (Гений Карпат Chat). In the clip, Constantinescu, a native of the city of Bender (Tighina), stated that he would volunteer if the war in Ukraine extended into Moldova.
A message posted by Nick on April 6, 2024, in the “Carpathian Genius” chat group.
Nick posted similar comments in both groups: „He sends him greetings. The native of Cazaclia, Deputy Commander of Russia’s VDV, General Nicolai Cioban, says he’s waiting for him…”
INSIDE THE „MILITARY KITCHEN”
In 2022, months after creation of his account, Nick’s first messages appeared in a group dedicated to Uzbek cuisine. One post read: „Make sure the potatoes are good… And I added some greens…”
From discussions on traditional cooking, his focus shifted to heated political debates and military topics, heavily defending Russian propaganda. This transition did not go unnoticed by other users, who described him as „A complete victim of Russian propaganda and television!” while others joked – “Maybe he’s just a stupid spy.”
In 2023, Nick left more than 600 comments, actively participating in groups like “Moldovan Wagon”, the Russian group “Military History”, and another one run from Tiraspol.
In the “Military History” group, Nick said:”I’ve been to those places in the ’80s… Many tanks, both ours and Japanese, were left on the fields back then. Some were brought to our garrisons as exhibits made monuments… At Choibalsan, there were four BT tanks of various models in front of the officers’ club.”
In a Transnistrian group, he said:”If the Russian Federation had wanted to act aggressively, intervene, or cause trouble… Then, having an enclave like Transnistria, with finances, human resources, soldiers, and Russian special services… it could have done a lot in Moldova. But in my opinion, Russia has acted consistently and friendly toward Moldova all these years. It has not recognized the PMR, reduced its military presence, recycled ammunition, supplied gas, traded goods… And what has it received in return?”
“More than that! If Transnistria did not exist… Moldova wouldn’t be interesting to anyone… no one would know its location or what was happening there…”
Nick also suggested renaming the Chisinau International Airport: „I’ve already said this… just to remind you once again!!!! There’s a worthier candidate. His name would unite the peoples of Romania, Moldova, Transnistria, and Ukraine! The Chisinau Airport should be named after Gheorghe Pintilie.”
Pintilie was a Romanian-born Soviet security officer from Tiraspol.
The same user who identified himself with General Cioban has posted dozens of texts in an anti-Ukrainian group called Galushkin Khaganat (Галушкин Каганат), whose banner features the Wagner Group insignia.
On December 26, 2023, the group’s admin shared a video of a Ukrainian pilot beside an F-16 fighter jet donated by the West, with the caption:„The filthy ones love spreading images of the supposed arrival of the first F-16s in Ukraine.”
Nick responded: „We must urgently promise a reward for the first Ukrainian who defects with an F-16 to the Russian Federation!”
Nick also mocked high-ranking Russian generals, including Cioban’s superior, General Mikhail Teplinsky. After a group admin shared a photo comparing the tattoos of criminal stars to the stars on Russian military uniforms, Nick commented:
„Don’t idealize them… They have their own ‘Oranges’ too… and those guys have theor own colonel-generals like Mordvichev and Teplinsky.”
General Andrey Mordvichev—who was mentioned in that comment—is the head of the Central Military District in Russia; he’s notorious mainly for his role in the battles for Mariupol and Avdyivka.
FLAG KISSING
On February 5, 2024, the administrator of the „Moldovan Wagon” chat group shared a post about Moldova’s Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration Cristina Gherasimov. The post highlighted her swearing-in ceremony as the chief negotiator for Moldova’s European Union entry. The ceremony was attended by President Maia Sandu and Prime Minister Dorin Recean. The post included a photo of Gherasimov holding the national flag close to her face.
Nick reacted: „In fact, kissing the flag is a farewell ritual in the army… And pressing the flag to the forehead… That’s something out of Indian movies.”In the following days, Nick continued to target President Maia Sandu in his comments in the same group:
„She (Maia Sandu) completed a five-month Harvard course for traitors 😂. That’s some kind of dissertation…”
„Europe is not the cradle… Western Europe is the birthplace of fascism, Nazism, communism… and so on…”
Screenshot from Telegram.
On February 22, the EU Council added six individuals and one organization to its sanctions list for actions intended to destabilize Moldova.
Nick reacted: „Idiots… It seems they’re deliberately provoking unrest in Gagauzia… But the most important thing!!! Moldova is asking a union that is not a part of to impose sanctions on its own citizens… who are in Moldova… Unbelievable… Like the NKVD… we’ll punish you without trial or investigation…”
On April 11, the Russians hit the Trypilska power plant, the largest in the Kyiv region. The administrator of the Telegram group „Open Ukraine,” with over 200,000 followers, posted a photo of the plant in flames, captioned „a dramatic angle.” Nick Nick sarcastically commented:”In France 😁.”
Two months earlier, after several Russian generals were arrested for corruption and photos of their luxurious Moscow apartments surfaced, Nick Nick commented critically and aggressively in the „Proof Chatt” Telegram group:
„One thing is surprising… Surely all these generals have weapons… And not one of them even tried, like a true officer, to redeem their honor.”
WHERE GENERAL CIOBAN LIVES
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Moscow’s Cadastral Registry has stopped making property ownership data public. To investigate General Nicolai Cioban’s properties, advanced database searches were conducted, uncovering information about multiple apartments linked to his family. These were cross-referenced with his income declarations.
Foto: www.cian.ru
Nicolai Cioban is father to three children: a daughter and two sons. His daughter, Anna, 22, a forensic science student, and his wife Natalia are registered at an 87-square-meter apartment on Polina Osipenko Street, Moscow, within minutes of walk from Aviapark Mall, the largest shopping center in Russia. Built in 2014, the property is valued at approximately $300,000.
A similar-sized apartment was listed in Cioban’s 2019 public asset declaration – the most recent available record.
The Cioban family is also associated with another Moscow apartment on Kravchenko Street, which measures 78 square meters and is valued at over $200,000. Previously, the general’s family and his brothers from Gagauzia resided in an apartment in the Ulyanovsk region of Russia.
In his latest available declaration, dated 2019, Mr Cioban listed ownership of two plots of land and four apartments, two of which were in use.
Until 2018, his assets record also included a Toyota Land Cruiser. The vehicle was identified through images on a website indexing Russian license plates. It is unclear whether he still owns that vehicle today.
Foto: migalki.net
LITIGATION AGAINST DEFENSE MINISTRY
In November 2017, Vladimir Putin appointed Nicolai Cioban as the commander of an elite division in Ivanovo, the city where the general later would receive the visiting mayor of Cioban’s hometown. Mr Cioban, serving under a government contract, was shortlisted among military personnel entitled to housing on taxpayers’ expense. However, Cioban claimed that he had been solely listed in the application, his wife and children being omitted, and later his name was removed from the waiting list too.
Nicolai Cioban
Two years later, Cioban filed for edits in his registry entry with the Russian Ministry of Defense in order to get appropriate housing for the entire family. His application was turned down due to an incomplete data submission. Mr Cioban subsequently filed a lawsuit against the Western Regional Housing Administration of the Russian Ministry of Defense, which is in charge with accommodation for the military. The court ruled in his favour, ordering the Ministry to provide housing for his entire family.
The Ivanovo Military Court ruled:
„The decision [passed] on November 8, 2019, has been annulled, and Nicolai Cioban is reinstated in the list of military personnel eligible for budgetary housing… The matter pertaining to updating registry data entry for Nicolai Cioban regarding his family composition must be reconsidered.”
We attempted to get in touch with Nicolai Cioban calling him via multiple phone numbers but he would not respond. Some of the numbers were „temporarily blocked” or „inactive.” We also tried reaching him via WhatsApp – he hasn’t replied either.
RISE Moldova then emailed a few questions to Cioban’s family, with no response coming as of the time of publication of this article.
Subsequently, we sent a message to the user Nick via the Telegram app, receiving the following automatic response: „Sorry, you cannot call Nick due to privacy settings.” Although Nick has read the messages we sent on Telegram, he has decided not to comment.
OPERATION, MOBILIZATION, FUNERAL
Before Putin’s “special military operation” in Ukraine and the fighting for Khostomel Airport, Nicolai Cioban had led numerous tactical exercises simulating airport captures.
Khostomel Airport, located approximately 20 kilometers northwest of Kyiv, was stormed by Russian airborne troops on the morning of February 24, 2022.
„The rapid response brigade of Ukraine’s National Guard confronted the enemy in combat for Khostomel. The guards managed to shoot down 3 helicopters out of 34. National Guard fighters were forced to launch an artillery strike on the airport, where enemy forces had landed and established control,” the Ukrainian Armed Forces stated on the first day of the Russian invasion.
Intense fighting around Khostomel Airport continued for several weeks until the Russian withdrew from the Kyiv region.
In 2019, under his command, paratroopers from the Ivanovo Division of the Russian Airborne Forces (VDV) conducted a simulated capture of an airfield during exercises in Russia’s Kostroma region.
„The servicemen carried out training and fighting missions by dropping paratroopers and artillery units from the Ivanovo Division into two landing zones, capturing airfields and a base,” Cioban reported.
A year later, over 500 troops under Cioban’s leadership participated in another commando-style exercise that aimed at capturing an airport, transporting military equipment, and enabling the smooth deployment of Russian troops into combat operation.
Nicolai Cioban during military drills in June 2021. Photo: mil.ru
In the summer of 2021, just months before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Cioban supervised a tactical exercise involving special forces from Russia, Belarus, and Serbia.
In early February 2023, Cioban was seen alongside Alexey Dyumin, Putin’s former bodyguard, aide to the Russian president and a member of Russia’s Security Council. Dyumin and elite instructors from the private military organization „Capital of Arms Stolitsa71” had been training mobilized men for deployment to a “special operation zone.”
Dyumin addressed the soldiers:
„Today, there is no more important task than the one you – true warriors and defenders – are facing. There are true men of various ages and professions among you: fathers and sons, younger and older brothers. In all of Russia’s historical periods, our strength has always lain in people like you. True love, not fake, for your Motherland and your people.”
„Capital of Arms Stolitsa71” was founded in 2022, months after Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, by Andrei Dubrovsky, an MP in Putin’s United Russia Party. Dubrovsky later volunteered to fight in Ukraine.
„Our team, the Gods of War, are masters of their craft, the best of the best. Libya, Iraq, Syria, the Central African Republic, Chechnya, Dagestan, Georgia, South Ossetia, Tajikistan, Donbas, now Ukraine – they have participated in most of the world’s armed conflicts, endured fire and water, and survived to be here with us – these are our instructors,” reads Stolitsa71’s headmaster promo.
Russian military trainers from the Capital of Arms. Photo: stolitsa71.ru
The organization’s funding comes from „caring individuals, such as former Tula governor Alexey Dyumin (Putin’s former bodyguard),” Stolitsa71 director Elena Senkina explained in an interview.
General Cioban participated in the teleconferences led by former defense minister Sergey Shoigu, now secretary of Russia’s Security Council. During one such meeting on March 7, 2023, Shoigu and senior generals discussed „the progress of Russia’s offensive in Ukraine.”
Shoigu stated:
„The liberation of Artemovsk (Bakhmut) continues. This city is a key defense center for Ukrainian forces in Donbas. Gaining control will allow for further offensive operations deeper into the defenses of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.”
Nicolai Cioban at a teleconference with Shoigu on March 7, 2023. Photo: Sputnik.
Shoigu also criticized NATO’s support for Ukraine, claiming it had not reduced Ukrainian military losses.
Months later, on December 19, 2023, Nicolai Cioban attended a special session at Russia’s National Defense Management Center, where he closely followed President Putin’s address, applauding at its conclusion.
Vladimir Putin declared:
„Dear comrades! A year ago, during the final meeting of the Ministry of Defense leadership, we discussed the priorities related to the special military operation and additional measures to strengthen the army and navy. Today, we will assess what has been achieved and identify areas for qualitative improvement and reinforcement. The year 2023 was intense for our armed forces, and I want to emphasize that our soldiers, officers, and commanders at all levels have courageously and professionally carried out their tasks during the special operation, ensuring the country’s sovereignty on a global scale, nuclear parity, and Russia’s strategic security.”
Nicolai Cioban at a meeting with Putin. Photo: Mikhail Klimentyev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP.
Cioban appeared alongside servicemen deployed to fight in Ukraine and widowed wives of soldiers fallen on the frontlines.
„The family of the deputy commander of the 18th Army, Magomedali Magomedzhanov, who died in the Northern Military District, received the Golden Star of the Hero of the Russian Federation. This honor was presented to the relatives and friends of Colonel Magomedzhanov, who lost his life in the area designated for the special military operation. The interim commander of the Airborne Forces, Major General Nicolai Cioban, attended the ceremony,” the Russian Ministry of Defense said in a press release.
Magomedzhanov passed away earlier this year in a hospital in Sevastopol, a city in the occupied Crimea, due to injuries sustained in combat.
General Cioban had previously met with the wife of Orthodox priest Mikhail Vasilyev, who also was killed in Ukraine and was posthumously awarded the title of „Hero of Russia.”
Cioban and the widow of Mikhail Vasyliev, killed in Ukraine. Photo: mil.ru
Priest Vasilyeva was known for his statements encouraging women to have more children for the war machine. Vasilyev left behind a wife and six children, the Defense Ministry specified.
Iurie SANDUTA
Fact-checking: RISE Moldova’s fact-checking department
Collage and graphics: Art of Alex Buretz, Roman FILIPPOV (RISE Moldova)
