Russia prepares to interfere in the post-war elections in Ukraine: how to protect legitimacy.

The threat of Russian interference in the elections in Ukraine

According to ТСН: During the post-war elections in Ukraine, there is a risk of influence from Russia, which aims either to establish a loyal leadership or to cast doubt on the legitimacy of the voting results.

This was stated by the head of the committee of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on the organization of state power, MP Olena Shuliak, during the first meeting of the working group on election issues in Ukraine.

She emphasized that Russian elections have long turned into a 'formal procedure for confirming a predetermined result,' and the Kremlin is trying to export this approach beyond its borders.

According to Olena Shuliak, interference in electoral processes 'begins long before election day and does not end with the announcement of the results.'

«This includes cyberattacks on electoral systems and registries, widespread dissemination of misinformation and fake news, funding of loyal political projects and pseudo-civil initiatives, bribery of voters, discrediting institutions and voting results even before their official announcement,» she listed the threats.

As a specific tool for interference, the MP mentioned social networks.

«Platforms like TikTok, Facebook, X, and YouTube allow, through millions of bots, coordinated networks of accounts, and algorithmic promotion, to quickly scale emotional narratives. When used systematically, it allows not to convince with facts but to create a sense of 'public opinion,' imposing fears, doubts, and simple, yet false answers to complex questions,» she noted.

Olena Shuliak also cited examples of recent elections in Romania, Georgia, and Moldova, where similar interference 'can be both public and demonstrative through support or blocking of certain candidates and political ideas, as well as hidden through illegal funding of political campaigns, parties, public structures, and media that work to shape the desired agenda.'

«Often, this is disguised as internal political competition, but in essence, it is an externally controlled process. Simultaneously, campaigns to undermine trust in electoral commissions, courts, public organizations in the electoral sphere, as well as in the procedures and results of voting, are launched,» she noted.

In the opinion of the MP, pro-Russian forces may use intimidation of voters, emphasizing the possibility of escalating the war or its recurrence.

«Our task is to build such rules and mechanisms that will ensure both internal and external legitimacy of the elections. Such legitimacy, that both Ukrainian society and all political forces will have no grounds for doubts, and international partners recognize: Ukrainian democracy has withstood the test of resilience even in the conditions of unprecedented aggressive external interference,» Olena Shuliak emphasized.

It is also worth noting that the head of the parliamentary faction 'Servant of the People' Davyd Arakhamia considers it necessary to introduce a 'hybrid' voting model to ensure the will of Ukrainians abroad and internally displaced persons.

Currently, the issue of possible Russian interference in the elections in Ukraine causes serious concern. Experts believe that such threats could significantly affect the voting results and the overall situation in the country. In turn, the Ukrainian authorities must take measures to reduce the risk of influence and ensure stability in the electoral process.