U.S. intelligence has warned the governments of more than 100 countries about the threat of election interference from Moscow.
Source. This was reported by Reuters.
Moscow is using espionage, social media and state media to undermine confidence in the integrity of democratic processes around the world, the report says.
"This is a global phenomenon. Our evidence suggests that senior officials, including those in the Kremlin, see the benefits of such influence operations and find them effective," the document says.
A Reuters source in the State Department claims that Russia has become more active in interfering in elections around the world, considering similar disinformation campaigns during the 2020 US presidential election and the COVID-19 pandemic to be successful.
"We definitely see the US elections as a catalyst," he explained.
U.S. experts have been consulting privately with recipients of warning letters in different countries.
Washington "recognizes its vulnerability" to disinformation, the report notes. According to the document, coordinated Russian operations from 2020 to 2022 sought to "undermine public confidence in at least 11 elections in nine democratic countries, including the United States." "Less pronounced" attempts to interfere were recorded in 17 other elections, the report says.
The report recommends that countries combat Russian election interference through sanctions, information sharing, expulsion of Russian spies, and travel bans.
Background. Slovakia reportedly suspends military aid to Ukraine because pro-Russian parties that won the parliamentary elections oppose such support.