TARGETED

Russia Revives Its Disinformation Bots Ahead of U.S. Midterm Elections

The faceless accounts that spread disinformation and promoted political friction in previous election cycles are now working to get the U.S. out of Ukraine.

Russian bots and trolls have been reactivated ahead of Tuesday’s midterm election cycle in a suspected attempt to upend U.S. support of the war in Ukraine, reports The New York Times. Like previous election cycles, the accounts aim to sow distrust in the U.S. electoral system by spreading rumors and disinformation—but this time, they’re attempting to thwart U.S. support of Ukraine’s war efforts by targeting online spaces famous for their lack of moderation, such as Gab, Parler, and Getter. Some of the Russian accounts were tied back to the Internet Research Agency, which notoriously interfered in the 2016 and 2020 elections. Their messaging targets Democratic figureheads and Senate candidates in some of the country’s electoral boiling pots, like Ohio, Arizona, and Pennsylvania. “As working class Americans struggle to afford food, gas, and find baby formula, Joe Biden wants to spend $13.7 billion more in aid to Ukraine,” one bot posted.