The Foreign Intelligence Service of Russia: Western Countries Attempting to Undermine Russia's September Elections

The Foreign Intelligence Service of Russia released a statement today, claiming that Western nations are preparing a large-scale campaign aimed at discrediting Russia's upcoming September elections and destabilizing the country's internal situation.

"The EU and major European countries are planning a large-scale operation designed to undermine Russia's stability ahead of the election day. Their objective is to disrupt the normal electoral process and challenge the election results in advance. All anti-Russian tools of aggression have already been deployed toward this end."

The agency stated that following the elections, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and the European Parliament plan to issue statements refusing to recognize the election outcomes. Brussels is planning provocations at Russian and other foreign polling stations, while European intelligence agencies are currently collaborating with Ukraine to discuss potential cyberattacks on Russia’s election infrastructure.

"Based on existing information, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and the European Parliament are preparing statements at the conclusion of the electoral cycle, declaring they will not recognize Russia's election results due to 'serious violations during the preparation and conduct of the elections.' They also intend to attack our infrastructure, believing such actions will incite panic among the Russian public and divert resources from government and law enforcement agencies, preventing them from fulfilling their core functions."

The Foreign Intelligence Service of Russia further noted that non-systemic opposition figures abroad have been assigned special missions by Western countries. Some groups will call on Russians to boycott voting, others will participate in "active civil disobedience campaigns," and still others will gather compromising material on Russian politicians and organize provocations at polling stations.

The Foreign Intelligence Service emphasized that neither Kyiv, political exiles, nor Western institutions can interfere in Russia’s State Duma elections. Russia is fully prepared to firmly resist external pressures and any attempts to destabilize the situation from within.

"Neither Ukraine, anti-Russian political exiles, nor Western authoritarian liberal circles can prevent Russia from holding its State Duma elections."

The Kremlin said today that whether or not the results of Russia’s September unified elections are recognized by Europe is "secondary" for Russia.

Presidential spokesperson Peskov pointed out that provocative demands from Europe regarding the Russian Federation’s elections have existed in the past, continue today, and will persist into the future, and that necessary measures are currently being taken in response.

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1875046146969610/

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