Russia steps up election influence efforts in final stretch of midterms

Russian operatives are working to sway American voters ahead of Election Day with invented stories about Democratic candidates, AI-altered videos and counterfeit posts dressed up as real news outlets. Researchers who monitor online influence operations, along with lawmakers briefed by intelligence agencies, say Kremlin-backed groups are reviving methods used in earlier elections. Darren Linvill of Clemson University's Media Forensics Hub says the central aim is weakening American backing for Ukraine, alongside deepening divisions and eroding faith in democracy, according to NPR.

This week, a group researchers call Storm-1516 targeted a Democratic Senate candidate with two fake videos, likely made with AI, according to Graphika. A newly created X account posted them, and 15 bot accounts flagged by Linvill pushed them along. Three large accounts then spread one video, which Alethea estimated drew roughly 857,000 views within a day. By Wednesday night, X had suspended the original poster and one big account, while the other two removed their posts.

Rep. Jim Himes and Sen. Mark Warner told reporters that a recent classified assessment found Russia is against candidates of both parties who have supported Ukraine. Himes added that nothing suggests foreign actors have managed to tamper with the machinery of voting itself.

Summarized by PolitiKool from NPR’s reporting. Read the full story at NPR →