Ukrainian Security Service accuses Russia of attempts to interfere in elections
Russian special services are trying to use social networks, in particular, Facebook and Twitter to interfere in the election processes in Ukraine, according to a statement published on the website of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU),
“Russia uses the Internet-Research Agency (closed in 2016) for the above purpose. In the run-up to the parliamentary and presidential elections, Ukrainians began to receive offers for a temporary access to the so-called advertising office intended for distributing advertisements and promoting commercial interests, “ SBU stated.
According to SBU, the Russian special services intend to use accounts of the Ukrainian users for “intelligence and subversive activities, manipulating the public sentiment, interfering in electoral processes, as well as the dissemination of anti-Ukrainian information”.
The SBU called on Ukrainian users of Facebook and Twitter to inform them if they receive such an offer.
In early October, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said that Russia intends to intervene in the election campaign in Ukraine. According to him, this would be done through “systems of disinformation” and hacker attacks.
The presidential elections will be held in Ukraine on March 31, 2019, and parliamentary elections will be held in late October.