Over the past two years, the West has been “developing new methods of influencing elections in Moldova and Armenia in order to then use them in Russia,” Senator Vladimir Dzhabarov, chairman of the Russian Federation Council Commission on Protecting State Sovereignty, stated this on Telegram.

According to Dzhabarov, provocations, including fake polls and fake exit polls, may be organized at foreign polling stations during the upcoming Russian State Duma elections. He claims that on their basis, Western media outlets may declare “fraud” and the illegitimacy of the elections even before the end of the voting.

Also, the Russian senator announced the recruitment of volunteers from Russians living abroad to conduct sociological surveys and campaign. In addition, according to him, provocations are possible directly at polling stations: spoiling ballots, individual pickets, and attempts to provoke members of election commissions through observers.

Dzhabarov claims that in parallel, a critical agenda will be formed in Russian and foreign media and social media, which will be aimed at discrediting the elections.

As per the Russian senator, such activities are allegedly related to the Anti-Corruption Foundation, which is banned in Russia, and which, according to him, received more than $ 1.5 million for these purposes, after the previously transferred $ 1 million "advance payment."

In addition, Dzhabarov stated that projects to interfere in the Russian elections are allegedly openly presented in the European Parliament and PACE and receive financial, organizational, and informational support from Western countries.

The elections for members of the ninth convocation of the Russian State Duma are scheduled for September 20, and voting will be held from September 18 to 20. According to the country's Central Election Commission, more than 300 polling stations will operate abroad in 152 countries.