Russia has long been waging operations against democracies using all of the asymmetric tools ASD tracks—information manipulation, cyberattacks, malign finance, civil society subversion, and state economic coercion. The Kremlin’s geographic scope in conducting operations to undermine democracy continues to expand and its tactics continue to evolve. Find ASD’s work on Russia’s attempts to interfere in democracies on this page.
Keep the US Government Focused on Combating Foreign Interference Operations
The US Department of Justice’s (DOJ) detailed charges against Iranian operatives involved in the plot to assassinate Donald Trump during the recent presidential campaign should dispel any skepticism about US national security threats emanating from [...]
Bret Schafer Interviewed on CBS News about Suspected Russian Threats Against US Polling Places
Senior Fellow Bret Schafer joined CBS News to discuss faux bomb threats at US polling places that originated from Russian domains. watch here The views expressed in GMF publications and commentary are the views of the author alone. [...]
The Moldovan Testing Ground? What the United States Can Learn from Russian Interference in Moldova
The Kremlin is known for testing disinformation strategies in its “backyard” before applying them globally. Last week in Moldova, the presidential election and constitutional referendum on EU membership presented Russia with such an opportunity. Rus [...]
RT’s End Around: RT’s Content Launderers Persist Despite Increased Attention and Restrictions
In May, ASD, along with our partners at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD) and the University of Amsterdam (UvA), published a report documenting roughly 400 domains that had published identical or nearly identical copies of articles original [...]
Russian Meddling in Moldova: Extremely Brazen and Incredibly Alarming
Few national contexts offer a more disturbing picture of Russian malign foreign interference than Moldova’s. As the country readies for critical elections on October 20, it also faces a barrage of Russian hybrid attacks of remarkable scale and inten [...]
Peter Benzoni quoted in Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty on Russian Online Information Campaign in the Balkans
Investigative Data and Research Analyst Peter Benzoni spoke to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty about a recent Russian online information campaign in the Balkans. read more here The views expressed in GMF publications and commentary are the views [...]
For Your Eyes Only: Pro-Kremlin Visual Propaganda Appeals to Hearts and Minds in Italy
Italy has long been a prime target for Russian interference efforts. From cultivating malign financial ties and relationships with political elites to executing covert information operations, Russia has consistently sought to increase its influence [...]
When Interference Turns Kinetic: Russia’s Dangerous Escalation in Europe
In recent months, taking advantage of pliable politicians and a vulnerable information space, Russia has escalated its hostile actions in Europe in both frequency and intensity. In fact, Russia’s destabilizing actions have become so brazen that simp [...]
Bribes and Lies: Foreign Interference in Europe in 2024
2024 is a year of critical elections around the world. This holds especially true in Europe, where, in June alone, the European Parliament elections, British snap elections, and surprise French parliamentary elections all took place in quick success [...]
Bret Schafer interviewed on CBS News: Russia Increasing Efforts to Spread Disinformation Online
Senior Fellow Bret Schafer spoke to CBS News about how Russian propaganda works and how Europeans and Americans can help stem its tide. watch here The views expressed in GMF publications and commentary are the views of the author alone. [...]
David Salvo interviewed on NTD News about the NATO Summit and Russia-PRC Relations
Co-Managing Director David Salvo told NTD News that despite the NATO communique's condemnation of the People's Republic of China (PRC) financing Russia's war effort in Ukraine, allies like the United States may lack the leverage to influence the PRC [...]
Bret Schafer on Fox News’ Special Report with Bret Baier on a Russian Influence Network Dismantled by US, Allies, and X Officials
Senior Fellow Bret Schafer joined Special Report with Bret Baier on Fox News to discuss the significance of a recently dismantled Russian influence network on X. watch here The views expressed in GMF publications and commentary are the views of [...]