Russia uses spies, social media and press to influence elections in other countries – US intelligence

The United States published US intelligence data sent to more than 100 countries that showed Moscow is using spies, social media and Russian state-owned media to undermine public confidence in the integrity of democratic elections around the world. 

Source: Reuters

Details: A senior US State Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that Russia's success in spreading disinformation about the 2020 US election and the COVID-19 pandemic has prompted it to step up its election influence operations.

Washington held a private briefing for recipient governments and shared its assessment.

According to the report, Moscow is trying to sow instability in democratic countries by portraying elections as dysfunctional and the governments that result from them as illegitimate.

The report says that Washington is aware of its own vulnerability to this threat. It is also noted that US intelligence agencies have found that Russia has spread information to undermine public confidence in the 2020 US elections.

Russia is using both overt and covert mechanisms, including influence networks and proxies operated by Russian secret services. It is recommended in the report that countries work to mitigate Russian election interference through sanctions, information sharing, expulsion of Russian spies and travel bans. 

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