We Are ‘Disarmed’ in the Face of Russian Manipulation

No claims match the selected verdicts. Show all

1. Claim 1

   Accurate50% confidence▶ 0:19

   “Putin, who doesn't have the military superiority of the Western countries, has been leaning into for 10 years now. Not just against the United States, but against England, against other NATO countries, against countries in Eastern Europe.”

   Putin has leaned into information warfare for about ten years against the United States, the United Kingdom, NATO countries, and countries in Eastern Europe.

   Official NATO and UK government materials describe sustained Russian hybrid, cyber, and information operations against Western and European countries, including election interference and attacks on political processes. The exact phrase “for 10 years” is approximate, but documented activity since at least 2016 supports the claim as stated.

   • Russia and Ukraine
   • US foreign policy and the military

   Sources

   • 1NATO and EU discuss defence against hybrid warfare↗

     SupportsHybrid tactics, which include cyber-attacks, disinformation and economic interference, are increasingly used against NATO and EU member countries.

   • 2NATO - Russia’s hybrid war against the West↗

     SupportsThe key tools that Russia has employed in pursuit of its hybrid warfare against Western countries include the politicisation/weaponisation of energy, the employment of non-state actors and non-attributable forces, support for pro-Russia and Russia-leaning actors, an extensive use of disinformation, and election-meddling.

   • 3UK exposes attempted Russian cyber interference in politics and democratic processes↗

     SupportsThe UK condemns Russia’s sustained attempts at political interference in the UK and globally.

2. Claim 2

   Accurate98% confidence▶ 0:31

   “He's using this to influence elections.”

   Russia uses information operations to influence elections.

   U.S. intelligence assessments explicitly describe Russian influence efforts targeting U.S. elections and seeking to shape electoral outcomes or political environments.

   • Russia and Ukraine
   • US elections and domestic politics

   Sources

   • 1Assessing Russian Activities and Intentions in Recent US Elections↗

     SupportsWe assess that President Putin and other senior Russian officials were aware of and probably directed Russia’s influence operations against the 2020 US Presidential election.

   • 2Securing Election Infrastructure Against the Tactics of Foreign Malign Influence Operations↗

     SupportsForeign malign influence operations seek to manipulate perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors in order to advance the interests of a foreign actor.

3. Claim 3

   Accurate94% confidence▶ 0:37

   “he's done it through disinformation campaigns, through social media, creating phony sites and putting on phony memes and messages that disparage, in this case, Democrats, whether it's Joe Biden, whether it's Hillary Clinton, whether it's Kamala Harris. And some of these actually reach tens of millions of Americans.”

   Russian influence campaigns used disinformation, social media, fake sites, and political messages, and some reached tens of millions of Americans.

   Congressional investigations and government materials document Russian use of fake personas, social-media campaigns, fabricated or misleading content, and websites to influence U.S. political discourse. Facebook estimated that Russia-linked content reached as many as 126 million Americans, exceeding “tens of millions.”

   • Russia and Ukraine
   • Technology and privacy

   Sources

   • 1Open Hearing: Social Media Influence in the 2016 U.S. Elections↗

     Supportsspread widely on news feeds of tens of millions of Americans.

   • 2Russian National Charged with Interfering in U.S. Political System↗

     SupportsThese accounts also were used to advocate for the election or electoral defeat of particular candidates in the 2016 and 2018 U.S. elections.

   • 3UK action against Russian foreign information warfare↗

     SupportsFIMI operations create fake websites and use social media and bot accounts to undermine democratic elections and spread deliberately misleading narratives in support of Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine.