Reports describe Russian efforts to influence U.S. midterm voters

Summary

The Japan Times reports that an army of bots is inflating views of fictitious posts about celebrities and Democratic candidates ahead of the U.S. midterm elections. The New York Times reports that a campaign is using social media posts about U.S. support for Israel to sow discord ahead of the elections.

Timeline

1. The New York Times

   16 Oct 2026, 18:24 UTCSource ↗

   The New York Times reports that a campaign is using social media posts focused on U.S. support for Israel to sow discord ahead of the midterm elections.

2. The Japan Times

   17 Oct 2026, 03:20 UTCSource ↗

   The Japan Times reports that bots are inflating views of fictitious posts about celebrities and Democratic candidates ahead of the U.S. midterm elections.