Disinfo: West trying to interfere in Russia’s legislative elections

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about constant Western plots attempting to destabilise Russia. The allegation that Western countries want to interfere in Russia’s legislative election of September by rocking political stability is not backed up with proof.

Contrary to what this disinformation story claims, there is massive evidence of Russia’s involvement in the attempts to poison former Russian spy Sergey Skripal and opposition leader Alexei Navalny, as well as in the downing of the MH17 flight over Ukraine (you can see here, here and here for our previous specific debunking of these three incidents). By labelling these cases as “dirty tools, falsities and baseless accusations”, this disinformation message aims to deflect any Russian responsibility in these episodes, which are very serious violations of international law.

The affirmation that Western Special Services may support extremist-leaning activists inside Russia, also not backed up with evidence, is a mix of two different frequent pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives, the first about the West as a sponsor and promoter of terrorism, and a second one labelling legitimate Russian opposition as “extremist”.

See other examples in our database, such as claims that the West pursues an anti-Russian campaign to encircle and destabilise Russia, that “Russia must be destroyed” is an integral part of US politics and ideology, that the ‘highly likely’ argument is used again to spread lies about Russia, that the West invented Navalny’s poisoning to uphold the myth of an aggressive Russia, or that the US will invent anything to blame Russia and attract its allies against a common enemy.