Pungesti, Romania has become the front line in a battle over fracking. The New York Times reports that when the town became the area of choice for Chevron to drill in oil shales located in Pungesti’s jurisdiction, it attracted the attention of environmentalist groups opposed to the drilling method. The environmentalists held protests to the point where they became violent resulting in clashes with police and arrests as well. The atmosphere got so bad that even Pungesti’s mayor, Vlasa Mirica, was driven out of town since he became seen by locals as corrupt. His only crime was supporting Chevron’s efforts to drill oil which he decided would benefit Pungesti.

Romanian officials have alleged that the protesters were hired by Russia’s natural gas monopoly Gazprom. Gazprom literally has a monopoly on natural gas delivery in Europe and when the company got wind of natural gas drilling in countries like Romania and Lithuania, the company hired environmentalists to protest and use other methods to prevent fracking to continue. Even Russian-friendly Bulgaria saw a huge influx of environmentalists who protested against fracking in the country that resulted in Bulgaria banning hydraulic fracturing in 2012.

While Russia is alleged to have little concern for the environment when it comes to Gazprom’s operations, and the country has been known to harass or even jail environmentalists who protest against Russian fossil fuel operations. Yet when it comes to other countries fracking, somehow, Mother Russia goes green and, not surprisingly, will go so far as to hire environmentalists to halt fracking in other countries like Romania, Bulgaria and Lithuania. The Times also states when Gazprom’s export section head, Alexander Medvedev’s statement to Europe that they would not be able to replicate the US’s success was later determined to be only half right, Russia resorted to hard-ball politics and hired Gang Green to carry out its strong arm campaigns.

It has been revealed that environmentalists, other hard-Left groups and non-green activists have gotten backing from the country’s security apparatus based in Moldova. Russian media would give large amounts of publicity to fracking opposition as well which is another red flag in many European’s minds. This just goes to prove that (despite their denials of Russian support) even environmentalists can be bought and paid for if the price is right.