MOSCOW, July 22. /TASS/. The number of nonprofit organizations and associations that receive funding from abroad and seek to influence the ongoing State Duma electoral campaign has increased by 2.7 times compared to the 2016 campaign, Central Electoral Commission member Igor Borisov said Thursday.

"There were 53 such associations, organizations, fed by the West to participate in our political processes in 2016, while there are 145 now. That is a 2.7 times increase during this period," Borisov said during the Federation Council meeting. 

He also compared the Ministry of Justice data on the number of non-government organizations (NGOs) acting as foreign agents.

"According to the Ministry of Justice, which maintains the registry of NGOs acting as foreign agents, there were 46 registered NGOs, while there are 77 now. There were zero media acting as foreign agents in 2016, while there are 28 now (15 organizations and 13 people). There were 7 undesirable organizations that operated on Western sponsors’ money and directed that money in participation in Russian politics, while today there are 40 organizations that seek to influence the political electoral process," the official said.

He noted that the West exerts pressure and looks for new ways to do that.

"We are ready to deflect these attacks, but we must speak about them out loud. Because actions against us are being carried out covertly. The foreign agents seek not to register but play political games while receiving money from abroad," Borisov concluded.

On June 17, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed an order scheduling the State Duma elections for September 19, 2021. The elections will span over three days - September 17, 18 and 19. Election Day voting will also include races among nine governors and 39 regional parliaments.