Russia reports mass cyberattacks targeting elections
Russia's electoral chief, Ella Pamfilova, reported over 1,000 distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) cyberattacks targeting the country's election infrastructure. She attributed the attacks to "highly professional, well-coordinated groups using artificial intelligence tools" but did not identify the perpetrators.
Why it matters
These reported cyberattacks highlight the growing threat of digital interference in national elections and the increasing sophistication, including the use of AI, in cyber warfare tactics.
Russia’s electoral chief said Sunday (September 20, 2026) that there had been over 1,000 waves of distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks targeting Russian election infrastructure in recent days.
Ella Pamfilova, chair of Russia’s Central Election Commission, did not say who was responsible.
The attacks appeared to have been carried out by “highly professional, well-coordinated groups using artificial intelligence tools,” she said.
DDoS attacks involve overwhelming a system with internet traffic so that it is unable to function normally.
“Over the past period, more than 1,000 waves of DDoS attacks have been recorded against infrastructure in Russia that is specifically involved in the electoral process,” Ms. Pamfilova was quoted as saying by Russian news agencies.
Voting is currently under way in Russia to determine all 450 seats in the lower house, the State Duma.
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