Six people arrested in Romania on suspicion of plotting coup, intelligence points to links between conspirators and Russia

Photo: Inquam Photos

Romanian authorities have arrested six individuals, including a retired army general, on charges of forming a criminal group aimed at undermining “Romania’s sovereignty and independence through political destabilization and by affecting the country’s defense capabilities.” The arrests were reported earlier today by Europa Liberă România — the regional branch of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty — citing Romania’s National Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT).

The suspects allegedly traveled to Moscow to seek help and acted in collaboration with the military attaché of the Russian Embassy in Bucharest and his deputy, the Romanian Intelligence Service claims.

In a statement, DIICOT prosecutors said that the criminal group has been active since 2023 and accused its members of planning a coup d’état with Russian support. Prosecutors have filed requests to detain four of the suspects and place the remaining two under house arrest.

The names of the suspects have not been officially disclosed. However, sources cited by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty indicate that among them is retired General Radu Teodoru, aged 101. His daughter said on social media that her father had not been arrested but was visited by investigators on March 5. According to DIICOT, the criminal group operated under the guise of a legal organization “developed with a military-type structure.” The sources added that this organization is likely Opus Nostrum, whose members refer to themselves as the “Vlad Țepeș Team.” The organization’s website features a photo of Radu Teodoru with the caption: “Marshal of Romanianism. Romanians will rise!”

A screenshot of Opus Nostrum's website.

Former diplomat, historian, and political analyst Alexei Tulbure told The Insider that members of Opus Nostrum maintained close ties with Russia and operated in its interests.

“The objectives of this 'Vlad Țepeș Team' include overthrowing the current government, altering the constitutional system, and renaming the country from Romania to Getia. The Getae were a Thracian tribe that historically inhabited these lands and are considered ancestors of modern Romanians. Two members of the 'Țepeș Team' traveled to Moscow in January, where they discussed what kind of support they could receive for their plan to seize power in Romania.

They were in direct contact with representatives of Russia, working with undercover officers who were recently expelled and declared persona non grata. Their goal was to take control of the government, withdraw from NATO, and rewrite the country’s constitution. This was done in Russia’s interests. It’s a special operation involving Russian intelligence services, as reported by the press. It’s part of hybrid warfare — there won’t be bombs, but they aim to take over without them. The organization is also linked to [Romanian presidential candidate] Călin Georgescu.”

On March 5, Romania’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs declared Russian Embassy military attaché Viktor Makovsky and his assistant Evgeny Ignatiev persona non grata. The ministry did not specify the reasons for their expulsion, stating only that they had carried out “activities that contravene the provisions of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961.”

At the end of February, Romanian authorities detained and questioned right-wing politician Călin Georgescu, who had won the most votes in the first round of the presidential elections — results that were later annulled after the Romanian Supreme Court of National Defense determined that TikTok had provided the candidate with “preferential treatment,” helping push his level of support from the low single digits up to nearly 23% in the weeks before the vote. Georgescu’s associates were subjected to searches as part of an investigation into the creation of a fascist organization, and Romania’s National Security Council released classified materials confirming the existence of a Russian-backed campaign in support of Georgescu that included cyberattacks and manipulation of social media algorithms.

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