U.S. intelligence officials found the Russian government launched covert online influence operations designed to undermine public confidence in the upcoming voting season. The Kremlin is using AI generated fakes mimicking reports from CNN and the BBC to spread divisive content on social media. While the current campaign focuses on creating chaos rather than supporting a specific party, officials noted that every target so far has been a Democrat in a Senate race. Intelligence officials found no evidence that voting systems have been compromised.

Researchers at Graphika traced waves of posts on X and BlueSky to a Kremlin operation that used newsroom logos to mask fabricated claims. One fake New York Times video featuring Jamie Lee Curtis and subtitles about transgender policy gathered nearly 200,000 views. This effort is less extensive than previous Russian campaigns as Moscow bleeds cash in Ukraine. U.S. officials expect Iran to join the operations, though China may avoid participating.