U.S. Accuses Russia of Spending Millions to Influence American Voters

The Biden administration accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of orchestrating a covert campaign to influence the coming U.S. presidential election and erode international support for Ukraine, blaming the Kremlin for targeting American voters with political propaganda and disinformation.

The influence campaign, which American spy agencies have concluded is aiming to help Republican nominee Donald Trump reclaim the White House, involved Putin’s inner circle and included a scheme to surreptitiously bankroll an American media startup and direct Russian public-relations companies to promote state-sponsored narratives to influence the presidential race.

The Justice Department announced the seizure of more than 30 internet domains it said were being weaponized by the Russian government to direct malign influence efforts against the U.S. It identified Sergei Kiriyenko, a longtime senior aide to Putin, as overseeing the internet websites, which were designed to appear to readers as leading U.S. news sites but were, in fact, filled with Russian propaganda.

Since launching in 2023, the company has posted nearly 2,000 videos that have received more than 16 million views on YouTube alone, according to an indictment filed in Manhattan federal court.