Russia Denies Ties to US Election Bomb Threats at Swing State Polling Sites

A Russian official has denied any connection between the nation and a series of alleged bomb threats directed toward polling sites in key U.S. states amid a tight 2024 presidential election.

In a statement issued Tuesday, as Americans cast ballots in a breakneck race between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump, the FBI said it “is aware of bomb threats to polling locations in several states, many of which appear to originate from Russian email domains” and “none of the threats have been determined to be credible thus far.”

While the FBI did not identify the affected states, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger confirmed during a news conference that he had “heard some threats that were of Russian origin” that he did not believe were “viable.” He said officials had “identified the source; it was from Russia,” without specifying further.

The Washington Post reported that the threats led to temporarily shutdowns of some polling locations and also targeted voting sites in Arizona and Michigan.

A Russian official speaking on background referred to such allegations as “vague and unclear,” rejecting any accusation of meddling in the close U.S. presidential race that has yet to produce a winner.

“I can assure you that Russia has no relation to any election interference, let alone bomb threats,” the Russian official told Newsweek. “Unfortunately, when something bad happens, it is often claimed to be of Russian origin, especially during U.S. election campaigns.”

U.S. officials have often accused Russia of attempting to interfere in U.S. elections, particularly through cyberattacks aimed at illicitly obtaining sensitive information and online campaigns at spreading disinformation.

The Office of the Direction of National Intelligence (ODNI), the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) on Friday issued a joint U.S. Intelligence Community (IC) statement saying that “Russian influence actors manufactured a recent video that falsely depicted individuals claiming to be from Haiti and voting illegally in multiple counties in Georgia.”

The statement further alleged that “Russian influence actors also manufactured a video falsely accusing an individual associated with the Democratic presidential ticket of taking a bribe from a U.S. entertainer.”

“This Russian activity is part of Moscow’s broader effort to raise unfounded questions about the integrity of the U.S. election and stoke divisions among Americans, as detailed in prior ODNI election updates,” the statement said. “In the lead up to election day and in the weeks and months after, the IC expects Russia to create and release additional media content that seeks to undermine trust in the integrity of the election and divide Americans.”

Russian officials have consistently denied such charges, claiming they were politically motivated as bilateral relations between Washington and Moscow have deteriorated in recent years.

In response to the latest allegations, the Russian Embassy to the U.S. issued a statement Saturday saying that it “has not received either any proof for these claims during its communications with US officials, or any inquiries regarding the narrative being promoted by the press.”

“We would like to emphasize that Russia has not and does not interfere in the internal affairs of other countries, including the United States,” the embassy added. “As President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly stressed, we respect the will of the American people. All insinuations about ‘Russian machinations’ are malicious slander, invented for use in the internal political struggles in the United States.”

In an exclusive interview with Newsweek last month, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov outlined Moscow’s position on the 2024 election between Harris and Trump.

“Generally speaking, the outcome of this election makes no difference to us, as the two parties have reached a consensus as to countering our country,” Lavrov said at the time. “In case there are political changes in the United States and new proposals to us, we will be ready to consider them and decide whether they meet our interests. At all events, we will promote Russia’s interests decisively, especially as far as its national security is concerned.”

“On the whole, it would be natural for the White House resident, no matter who they are, to mind their domestic business, rather than looking for adventures tens of thousands miles away from American coasts,” he added. “I am confident that U.S. electors think the same.”

This is a developing story and further information will be added as it becomes available.