Moscow claims US plotting to interfere in Russian elections, curb turnout

ISTANBUL

Moscow on Monday claimed that the US intends to meddle in Russia's forthcoming presidential election by achieving a reduced voter turnout.

The administration of US President Joe Biden is setting American NGOs the task of achieving a reduction in turnout in the upcoming Russian presidential election on March 15-17, the Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) said in a statement, state media reported.

The SVR said Washington intends to do so through leading IT specialists, and plans to carry out cyberattacks on the electronic voting system, which “will make it impossible to count the votes of a significant proportion of Russian voters.”

"The idea is simple in the American way. According to Washington’s calculations, the resulting 'reduction in turnout' will give the West a reason to question the election results," it said, adding that US political strategists "seem to be at risk of miscalculating again."

There was no immediate reaction from US authorities.

The Russian presidential election, the first three-day presidential vote in the country's history, will take place on March 15-17. Incumbent President Vladimir Putin seeks a fifth term in office.