Russia targets European elections with bot networks, Sweden warns

Magnus Hjort, director of the Swedish Psychological Defence Agency, has warned that Russia is using bot networks to target upcoming elections in major European democracies. The primary objective of Moscow’s information warfare is to polarize societies and sow doubt regarding military and financial support for Ukraine by spreading false narratives about corruption and abuses in Kyiv.

Hjort identified Germany and France as priority targets due to their influence and upcoming electoral cycles, including German regional elections and the French presidential campaign. The strategy appears aimed at strengthening far-right parties that are perceived as more sympathetic to Moscow.

While Sweden has faced disinformation campaigns in the past, particularly surrounding its NATO accession, Hjort noted that current Russian efforts do not appear to be targeting Sweden’s upcoming general elections, largely due to a broad national consensus on supporting Ukraine. He criticized social media platforms such as Meta, TikTok, and X, stating they are not doing enough to dismantle automated foreign influence networks, noting that these platforms often prioritize profit over combating disinformation.