Earlier this month, the US administration sounded the alarm on Russia's alleged attempts to sway the upcoming presidential election through fake accounts spreading propaganda and disinformation. In the US, the move is understood to be Russia's broader strategy to undermine American democracy, with US intelligence officials labelling Moscow as the "primary threat to elections".
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is also investigating Iran's involvement in targeting the presidential campaigns of Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. However, US officials assert that Russia is the more formidable foe, with a clear preference for Donald Trump as their candidate of choice. The US government has seized 32 internet domains connected to the influencers, who were allegedly paid by Moscow to spread fake news. It has also sanctioned 10 individuals and two entities allegedly linked to these efforts
This is the third consecutive presidential election in which American officials have accused Russia and President Vladimir Putin of attempting to influence outcomes. It was a huge issue during the 2016 election too. The FBI still lists 12 Russian military officers as "most wanted" for their role in hacking and meddling in that election. These officers, members of Russian military intelligence, were indicted by Special Counsel Robert Mueller's team in 2018. The indictments allege that they hacked Democratic Party emails and systems and leaked information to influence the election in favour of Donald Trump. Subsequently, hundreds of documents were leaked to Wikileaks. A federal arrest warrant was issued for these 12 officers after a grand jury in a US District Court found them responsible for conspiracy to interfere with the election. Their presence on the FBI's "most wanted" list underscores the ongoing tensions between the US and Russia regarding election interference and cyber-espionage.
Moscow has consistently refuted these allegations, with President Vladimir Putin personally denying the claims in various interviews and press conferences. Even Donald Trump came to Putin's defence, as he once told reporters, "He [Putin] said he didn't meddle. Every time he sees me he says, 'I didn't do that',........