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Russia Targets Pro-Ukraine US Candidates With AI-Driven Influence Campaign Ahead of Midterms
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Russia has launched a covert online influence campaign aimed at undermining both Democratic and Republican US candidates supportive of Ukraine ahead of the midterm elections, Politico reported on October 21.
Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chair Mark Warner and House Intelligence Committee ranking member Jim Himes described the findings after receiving a classified US intelligence community report on foreign election interference earlier this week.
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“It’s a carnival out there,” Himes told Politico, describing Russian digital operations as designed to generate “a sense of chaos and anarchy.”
According to Himes, the campaign includes efforts to undermine trust in US institutions and cast doubt on the reliability of voting machines. Warner added that Russia is using artificial intelligence tools to spread such narratives faster and target Americans more effectively.
The lawmakers did not identify specific candidates targeted by the campaign. However, they stated that political figures supportive of Ukraine from both major US parties were likely targets of Russian influence efforts.
The US intelligence community has not identified evidence that Russia attempted to hack election infrastructure or political campaign networks, according to the lawmakers.
Politico also pointed to one Russia-linked operation that has already surfaced publicly. Graphika, a company that tracks online influence operations and disinformation, reported that Storm-1516 is a Russian-linked influence network active since 2023. The network produced and distributed deepfake videos on X accusing Texas Senate candidate James Talarico of sexual assault.
X separately announced that it had removed more than 13,000 accounts linked to election-related influence campaigns originating from Russia, Iran, and China. The platform described the campaigns as targeting candidates and public figures across the political spectrum.
Warner noted that Russia has repeatedly conducted influence operations around US elections since 2016. Russian intelligence officers were previously linked to the hacking of the Democratic National Committee and campaign staff accounts during that year’s presidential race.
Politico reported that the classified intelligence assessment also detailed influence attempts linked to China and Iran, although Warner and Himes singled out Russia as conducting particularly significant activity.
A spokesperson for House Intelligence Committee Chair Rick Crawford criticized the disclosure, accusing Warner and Himes of selectively releasing classified information.
Himes stated that the committee is expected to receive another bipartisan classified briefing on election threats next week.
Russia’s latest campaign builds on disinformation tactics already documented across Europe. UNITED24 Media previously reported that the Kremlin-linked Storm-1516 network used fake journalist identities, fabricated articles, and AI-generated videos to target elections and political figures while eroding trust in Western institutions.
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