As US Election Nears, Fears That Russia is Manipulating West ‘As Never Before’

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW — Just two months before the November 5 U.S. election, Russian disinformation operations appear to be in full swing. Having warned all year that such operations would take aim at the American electorate, the U.S. has issued indictments against employees of the Russian state media network RT, charging them with covertly funding and directing a U.S. company to produce content to influence American voters.

The 32-page indictment said the employees used shell companies to pay $10 million to a Tennessee entity to create online videos that would amplify political divisions in the U.S. According to the charges, the company, Tenet, used influential conservative social media figures to push extreme – and often false – narratives about election fraud, the Covid-19 pandemic, immigration and Russia’s war with Ukraine.