MOSCOW, August 28. /TASS/. Unfriendly countries are attempting to interfere with the Russian electoral process ahead of the single voting day, including direct attacks on state resources and manipulation on social media, Vladimir Dzhabarov, the first deputy chairman of the Federation Council’s Committee on International Affairs, said in an interview with the publication Actual Comments.

"The interest in Russian elections from external players, primarily Western centers of influence, remains consistently high. The scenarios vary: from direct attacks on state resources to subtle interference on social networks. We see a proliferation of anonymous media channels that are preparing narratives about the 'undemocratic nature' of the elections in advance and tailoring their information attacks to the specifics of the regions where electoral campaigns are taking place. The activity of networks linked to foreign NGOs, which are recognized as undesirable in Russia, has intensified. Their goal is simple: to try to shake citizens’ trust in the Russian electoral system as a whole," the senator said.

Dzhabarov noted that digital tools and platforms are currently being used to carry out such attacks. During every election in Russia, mass cyberattacks on Central Election Commission resources are recorded, along with destructive activities on social networks, messengers, video services and the active use of deepfake technology to create video fakes.

The senator stated that special measures are being taken to protect against external interference, including the formation of a monitoring system and information exchange between relevant parliamentary commissions, the Central Election Commission, the Ministry of Digital Development, Roskomnadzor and law enforcement agencies.

"We promptly identify attacks and coordinate response measures. Legislation has also been updated: the activities of foreign agents are more strictly regulated and mechanisms for blocking knowingly fake resources have been introduced. Furthermore, we are focusing on informing voters themselves: explaining how to recognize manipulations and how to verify sources. People must understand that they are not dealing with ‘kind bloggers’ but with specially trained structures that want to destabilize the country from within. But it is important to understand: attacks will happen, but they will meet an organized and effective response. <...> Citizens can be confident: their vote will be counted, and no external players will be able to influence the outcome," he said.

On the single voting day of September 14, 2025, over 5,000 electoral campaigns will take place in 81 regions of the country. Direct gubernatorial elections will be held in 20 regions, and legislative assembly deputies will be elected in 11 entities. Approximately 47,000 deputy mandates and elected positions are slated to be filled. Around 55 million people will be eligible to vote.