Russia

EU preparations for State Duma election provocations, plans to null results — SVR

TASS English · 2026-08-31

AI SUMMARY

• What happened: The Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) reported that the EU is preparing to destabilize the upcoming State Duma elections by encouraging provocations from Russia's non-systemic opposition and planning to refuse recognition of the election results. • Why it matters: This situation highlights ongoing tensions between Russia and Western nations, with accusations of interference and attempts to undermine the legitimacy of Russia's electoral process, potentially impacting international relations and domestic stability. • What to watch next: The upcoming State Duma elections scheduled for September 18-20, 2026, will be closely monitored for any incidents of provocation or disruption, as well as the responses from both Russian authorities and Western entities regarding the election outcomes.

EU preparations for State Duma election provocations, plans to null results — SVR According to the intelligence service, the West has mobilized "all the ‘weapons’ from the arsenal of anti-Russian aggression" to destabilize the country ahead of the elections© Alex Saveliev/ CC BY-SA 2.0/ Wikimedia CommonsMOSCOW, August 31. /TASS/. Brussels has tasked Russia’s non-systemic opposition with staging provocations at polling stations in Russia and abroad, the press bureau of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) said. The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) and the European Parliament are preparing statements refusing to recognize the results of Russia’s elections, it said. TASS has compiled the SVR’s key statements. EU plans to destabilize Russia Western countries are actively preparing for elections in Russia, while the EU is implementing a large-scale strategy to destabilize the country. "According to the data coming to the SVR, the EU and leading European countries are implementing a large-scale strategy to destabilize the situation in Russia on the eve of the single day of voting this September." Representatives of European security services discuss "plans to organize cyber-attacks on the elections infrastructure" in Russia during visits to Ukraine. The West has mobilized "all the ‘weapons’ from the arsenal of anti-Russian aggression" to destabilize the country ahead of the elections. Sabotage, provocations Europeans aim to disrupt the normal electoral process in Russia and discredit the voting results. "European so-called advocates of lawfulness and democracy have set a twofold task for themselves: interfere with the normal electoral process and discredit the results of the expression of will on all levels of the electoral campaign." Brussels has tasked Russia’s non-systemic opposition with staging provocations at polling stations in Russia and abroad. "During the recent events in Vilnius and Berlin the European buriers of democracy have set before the non-systemic opposition tasks on digging up dirt on members of systemic political parties, as well as staging provocations at polling stations within the Russian Federation and abroad." The West has encouraged the Kiev regime to intensify sabotage and terrorist attacks on facilities in Russia. "On the margins of the July 13, 2026 Coalition of the Willing summit in Paris on creation of a new European missile defense system, the Europeans oriented the Kiev regime towards intensification of sabotage and terrorist attacks and strikes on facilities both in the liberated Russian territories and in the depth of Russia." Plans not to recognize results The West has tasked foreign-based non-systemic opposition groups with spreading claims about the "illegitimacy and unlawfulness" of elections in Russia. "Promulgation of assertions about ‘illegitimacy and unlawfulness’ of the voting - that hasn’t even taken place yet - has been assigned to foreign-based structures of the Russian non-systemic opposition." PACE and the European Parliament are preparing statements refusing to recognize election results in Russia. "According to available information, upon completion of the electoral cycle, PACE and the European Parliament are preparing to release a statement on the non-recognition of the election results in Russia due to the ‘gross violations during their preparation and conduct.’" Moscow’s response Neither Kiev, Russophobic political emigres nor totalitarian-liberal Western circles will prevent Russia from holding State Duma elections. "Neither Ukraine, with the corrupt, ‘long overdue’ regime in power, nor Russophobic ‘political emigres’ torn away from the native soil, nor the totalitarian liberal Western circles standing behind them will prevent Russian citizens from making their choice." Russia will repulse both external aggressors and attempts to undermine the country from within. "Russia is capable of repulsing the aggressors, not only on the external front, but also their hopeless attempts to sabotage our country from within." Russian position Russia’s adversaries are trying to intimidate Russians and disrupt the September elections, but the Kiev regime’s efforts are doomed to fail, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in an interview with Vesti journalist Pavel Zarubin. The Russian Foreign Ministry has urged Russians living abroad to remain vigilant and not yield to provocations ahead of State Duma elections. Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a briefing that there remained a "high probability" that Russia’s adversaries abroad would stage extremist and protest actions to discredit the State Duma elections. Voting in State Duma elections in unfriendly countries could be accompanied by various provocations and attempts to discredit the electoral process, Russian Central Election Commission Chairwoman Ella Pamfilova said. Extremist organizations and foreign agents are preparing to conduct fake voter polls abroad, near Russian embassies, on September 20 in order to claim in Western media that State Duma elections were rigged even before they end, Vasily Piskaryov, chairman of the State Duma commission investigating foreign interference in Russia’s internal affairs, said. State Duma elections Elections to the ninth State Duma will take place in Russia in the fall of 2026. Voting will take place from September 18 to 20. Residents of Donbass and Novorossiya will take part in State Duma elections for the first time. Elections to legislative assemblies will be held in 39 regions, while senior regional officials will be elected in seven regions by direct vote and in three others by regional parliaments. About 23,000 seats will be filled in total. 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Source: TASS English
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