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.
Interference Matters
Catch Me If EU Can: How RT and Sputnik Evade EU Content Bans
Laura Rosenberger discusses Russian hack-and-leak operations on The Report podcast by Lawfare
ASD Director Laura Rosenberger joined Lawfare's The Report podcast to discuss the Russian government's hack-and-leak operation in the lead-up to the 2016 election. Rosenberger describes how Russian intelligence timed the release of stolen emails and [...]
Mueller Hearings: Policy Recommendations on Combatting Foreign Interference
In his testimony this week, former Special Counsel Robert Mueller III reiterated that foreign interference is “among the most serious” challenges to democracy, and that it “deserves the attention of every American.” The Alliance for Securing Democr [...]
Will Greece’s New Government Resist Authoritarian Influence or Court It?
On July 7, Greeks voted in national elections to replace Alexis Tsipras and his ruling left-wing Syriza party with Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ right-wing New Democracy. Mitsotakis’ party platform promises to re-energize the Greek economy and attract new in [...]
ASD’s Jessica Brandt Discusses Russian Interference in the 2016 U.S. Election
ASD Head of Policy and Research Jessica Brandt was interviewed by Public Radio International, where she spoke about the two-pronged nature of Russia's interference in the 2016 U.S. elections: disinformation and cyberattacks. Brandt also praised the [...]
Clint Watts talks Russian Interference on Lawfare’s Active Measures Podcast
ASD Non-resident Fellow Clint Watts discusses Russian cyber interference and the Internet Research Agency on the first episode of Lawfare's new Active Measures podcast. [...]
Jessica Brandt on Italy’s Russian Financing Scandal in Axios
ASD Head of Policy and Research Jessica Brandt writes about the unfolding scandal of Russian financing of Italy's major far-right party La Lega in Axios. [...]
Caught Red Handed: Russian Financing Scheme in Italy Highlights Europe’s Vulnerabilities
In February 2019, two Italian investigative journalists made an explosive revelation: Matteo Salvini, leader of the far-right party La Lega and Italian interior minister, had sought financing from the Kremlin to the tune of millions of euros. That c [...]
Joshua Kirschenbaum on FATF’s Evaluation of Russia at the NYU School of Law
ASD Senior Fellow Joshua Kirschenbaum and GWU's Jennifer DeNardis discuss the recent Financial Action Task Force evaluation of Russia with the Program on Compliance and Enforcement at the NYU School of Law. "Russia in recent years has been the most [...]
Illicit Influence – Part One – A Case Study of the First Czech Russian Bank
Introduction In the spring of 2016, as the Russian-domiciled First Czech Russian Bank (FCRB) approached insolvency, staff worked feverishly to erase ledgers, destroy documents, and conceal evidence of the bank’s activity over the previous 9 years. [...]
A View from the Digital Trenches – Lessons from Year One of Hamilton 68
Summary The Russian government’s active measures campaign during the 2016 U.S. presidential election was a watershed moment in the study of modern information operations. Revelations that the Kremlin had purchased divisive political ads on social [...]
Beware the Aftermath – The Threat of Foreign Interference Won’t End on Election Day
Government officials and tech titans could be excused for breathing a huge, collective sigh of relief if next week’s midterms come to pass without evidence of widespread foreign manipulation. But if recent U.S. elections are any indication, the thre [...]