U.S. officials link suspected false voting video to Russian sources
Social media posts are attempting to stir doubt in the U.S. before the presidential election. A video going viral online seems to depict someone destroying supposed ballots. However, the FBI firmly asserts: the video is not authentic.
According to U.S. officials, a video allegedly showing the destruction of ballots supporting Donald Trump is a Russian fabrication. The clip has been circulating on several digital platforms, such as Twitter, in the past few days.
The video features a person's hands ripping open envelopes and examining the ballots inside. The ballots supposedly for Trump are ripped apart, and insults are hurled at the former president.
The video was claimed to have been recorded in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, a pivotal electoral district. Nevertheless, the local election office swiftly stated that neither the envelopes nor the ballots matched the real ones in use.
The FBI and the Director of National Intelligence's office, headed by Avril Haines, assert that the video was produced and disseminated online by "Russian operators." They based their claim on existing information and prior actions. Russia aims to cast doubt on the legitimacy of U.S. elections and to drive a wedge between citizens. They issued a statement warning about additional Russian-produced videos leading up to the election and beyond.
Pennsylvania is one of the states that could sway the election's outcome. To secure the presidency, a candidate requires 270 electoral votes from various states, and Pennsylvania has 19 of these votes. As of now, Democratic candidate Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump are virtually tied in polls for the November 5 election.
The Russian interference in the U.S. elections is not limited to social media posts; a video falsely claiming to show ballot destruction in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, is also part of their strategy. This video, disseminated on platforms like Twitter, has been identified as a Russian-made fabrication by the FBI and the Director of National Intelligence's office.
Despite the European Union not being directly involved, this incident underscores the global impact of disinformation and cyber-attacks on democratic processes, a concern the EU has been actively addressing in its member states.
