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Fact check: Russia was not involved in disinformation during any election
1. Summary of the results
The claim that Russia was not involved in disinformation during elections is demonstrably false based on extensive evidence from multiple credible sources. Russia has been documented conducting sophisticated disinformation campaigns across multiple elections and countries:
- In the United States:
Conducted a "sophisticated and aggressive campaign" during the 2016 election, confirmed by a bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee [1]
Continued interference through 2018, 2020, 2022, and 2024 elections [2]
Used specific tactics including hacking Democratic Party emails and targeted social media campaigns [3]
- In Germany:
Operated specific campaigns like "Storm-1516" and "Doppelgänger" [4]
Created over 100 fake websites to spread false claims about German politicians [5]
Specifically targeted to boost far-right AfD party [6]
2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints
The original statement overlooks several crucial contextual elements:
- The sophistication and evolution of Russian tactics, including:
AI-generated content deployment [2]
Creation of fake websites [4]
Coordinated social media manipulation [3]
Use of bomb threats and inflammatory videos in 2024 [7]
- The systematic and ongoing nature of these operations, showing a clear pattern rather than isolated incidents [3]
3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement
The statement appears to serve specific interests:
- Benefits to Russia: Denying involvement helps Russia continue its influence operations without scrutiny
- Political Benefits:
The disinformation campaigns specifically aimed to help certain candidates and damage others:
Helped Donald Trump while hurting Hillary Clinton in 2016 [1]
The statement's categorical denial contradicts extensive evidence from multiple independent sources, including bipartisan investigations [1] and detailed investigative reporting [5], suggesting it is itself part of a broader disinformation narrative.