DISINFO: The West is attempting to disrupt the State Duma elections
SUMMARY
Western countries are attempting to disrupt the State Duma elections. This is part of the broader offensive, that very hybrid war, into which Western powers and NATO have drawn the electoral process itself, seeking to derail it and prevent Russian citizens from freely expressing their will. Naturally, the countries involved are those with hostile regimes.
Russia recognises that it cannot expect the West to uphold the rights and freedoms it professes to champion and is prepared for this. Therefore, Russian citizens can go and vote at all the designated polling stations. Our diplomats stand ready to assist.
Earlier, CEC Chairperson Ella Pamfilova reported that a massive cyberattack was underway against Moscow’s remote electronic voting platform. According to her, not a single voter noticed anything amiss, as the security system is successfully repelling the attacks.
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives alleging foreign interference in Russian elections have re-emerged in response to the 2026 Russian legislative (Duma) elections, held on 18–20 September 2026. These narratives portray Western criticism as a form of hybrid warfare against Russia and frame international scrutiny of the electoral process as evidence of alleged Russophobia and anti-Russian policies.
This case forms part of a broader and evolving disinformation campaign promoted by pro-Kremlin outlets following the elections.
No publicly presented evidence establishes that Western governments or NATO were responsible for these attacks.
The Russian authorities did indeed report cyberattacks against electronic voting systems during the 18–20 September 2026 State Duma elections.
However, there is no publicly available evidence linking these incidents to Western countries or NATO. Claims that the attacks were part of a coordinated Western campaign are therefore unsubstantiated and rely on attribution that has not been independently verified.
The electoral context: In August, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and ODIHR stated that Russia had not invited an OSCE observation mission, contrary to its OSCE commitments, and raised concerns about restrictions on political participation and independent electoral oversight.
See other similar cases in our database: EU and European intelligence services are planning cyberattacks and electoral provocations in Russia; Unfriendly countries interfere in Russian elections; West trying to interfere in Russia’s legislative elections; The US is openly interfering with the Russian elections; On the eve of the RF presidential elections, Americans want to “stir up” the situation in Russia; Russia has the right to hold elections in former Ukrainian regions.