US intelligence report alleging Russia election interference shared with 100 countries

investing.com:

By Jonathan Landay and Simon Lewis

WASHINGTON (Reuters) — The United States on Friday released a U.S. intelligence assessment sent to more than 100 countries that found Moscow is using spies, social media and Russian state-run media to erode public faith in the integrity of democratic elections worldwide.

«This is a global phenomenon,» said the assessment. «Our information indicates that senior Russian government officials, including the Kremlin, see value in this type of influence operation and perceive it to be effective.»

A senior State Department official, briefing reporters on condition of anonymity, said that Russia was encouraged to intensify its election influence operations by its success in amplifying disinformation about the 2020 U.S. election and the COVID-19 pandemic.

«Success breeds more, and we definitely see the U.S. elections as a catalyst,» the official said.

The Russian embassy did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The release of the assessment comes amid serious tensions between the United States and Russia over Moscow's war against Ukraine and a raft of other issues.

The assessment was sent in a State Department cable dated Wednesday to more than 100 U.S. embassies in the Americas, Europe, Asia and Africa for distribution to their host governments, he said.

Washington was privately briefing recipient governments and shared the assessment «to get ahead of elections that are over the horizon over the next year,» the official said.

The report represents Washington's latest move to combat what it says are Moscow's efforts «to sow instability» in democratic countries by portraying elections as «dysfunctional, and resulting governments as illegitimate.»

Washington «recognizes its own