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How Russia is testing AI for manipulation on the West
According to cybersecurity expert Serhii Demediuk, the Kremlin is already using artificial intelligence to influence the electorates of countries allied with Ukraine. He says that the combination of information operations and targeted cyberattacks creates a new level of threat for democracies. If governments do not learn to anticipate such campaigns, election results and trust in the voting process itself will be at risk.
These statements were made by General of Police 3rd Rank and cybersecurity and cyberdefense expert Serhii Demediuk in a column for Novyny.LIVE.
Russia is testing information attacks against Ukraine's allies
Previously, influence campaigns relied on bot networks, troll factories, and fake information. Now, however, algorithms can simulate entire groups of voters, modeling their fears, economic concerns, and attitudes toward war and sanctions. Based on these models, thousands of messages are created that adapt to specific audiences almost instantly.
These systems do not rely on crude propaganda. Rather, they create the illusion of a "local voice" within a community, professional environment, or small group of friends. Everyone receives their story about the fatigue of war, corruption, the futility of supporting Ukraine, or the supposedly beneficial "deal with the aggressor." As a result, support for Ukraine is undermined and the sense of shared interest within democratic societies is eroded.
The most dangerous aspect is the temptation to implement extraordinary, quasi-military regimes for regulating information in response to such attacks. This creates a risk when democratic governments begin breaking their own rules in the name of security while aggressors use these same restrictions as arguments against them, promoting narratives about "censorship" and "power grabs."
Deepfakes and attacks on credibility of leaders
The quality of deepfake videos and audio has already surpassed the threshold at which the average viewer cannot distinguish editing from a genuine message. In a crisis, it only takes a few minutes to spread a "statement" from the president, prime minister, or military commander that makes it sound like they are ready to surrender, quarreling with allies, or abruptly changing their stance on the front lines.
Similar stories can trigger panic, market fluctuations, and mass protests. Even a quick retraction does not fully restore trust. The more often society is confronted with forgeries, the easier it becomes to spread the idea that "no one is telling the truth" and that any official statement can be questioned. This is the aggressor's strategic goal.
Phishing on steroids and attacks on critical infrastructure
Targeted phishing attacks evolve as quickly as open campaigns on social media. Emails generated by algorithms are becoming adept at mimicking the style of specific leaders by using their previous correspondence, public speeches, and linguistic habits. These messages are sent to individuals with access to sensitive systems or who manage important processes.
As Serhii Demediuk explained, the enemy is trying to gain control over elements of the electoral infrastructure, state registries, energy systems, transportation systems, and defense enterprises. The timing of the attacks is not random. Peak activity occurs during periods of political turbulence when the leadership's attention is overwhelmed and society is preoccupied with the election campaign.
What the government and society must do today
- Create an effective national center to counter information operations, with a component for analyzing AI threats. Such a center should unite government agencies, security services, the private sector, and the scientific community, work with data in near real-time, and have the authority to initiate countermeasures.
- Introduce digital content verification and support international standards for labeling artificially generated materials. Platforms must receive technical and legal mechanisms for quickly identifying fake addresses from leaders, especially during crisis events.
- Embed critical thinking, digital hygiene, and basic cybersecurity skills into mandatory programs for civil servants, educational institutions, and media. Decision-makers must be able to recognize manipulative narratives, deepfakes, and elements of social engineering.
- Move to a Zero Trust approach for government agencies and key industries, implement anomaly detection systems based on algorithms. Protection should be built on the assumption that compromise is already possible, and recovery after an incident is just as important as prevention itself.
- Legally establish regularly conducted stress tests and the work of independent "red teams" for critical infrastructure and electoral processes. Such simulated attacks allow weak points to be identified before a real adversary exploits them.
Hybrid elections as a new reality
Europe is entering a period of political fragmentation unseen in decades. The United States is preparing for decisions that will determine the security architecture for the entire democratic world. In these conditions, the aggressor deliberately strikes at the cracks by intensifying distrust, exploiting social inequality, fanning internal conflicts, and exploiting freedom of speech to cover destructive campaigns. These actions aim to establish informational tools in society that allow for covert intervention in the collective will and the creation of desired shifts in sentiment at any time.
Artificial intelligence does not create new threats; rather, it amplifies existing methods. Ukraine has gained valuable experience in countering cyberattacks, psychological warfare, and information operations. This experience should be transformed into a systematic policy within the country and in partnership with other states preparing for challenging elections.
"Our task is to avoid finding ourselves in the role of those who are constantly playing catch-up. Future elections will be hybrid by default. The stakes are not only the outcome of the vote but also trust in the process itself, the legitimacy of institutions, and democratic societies' ability to maintain their support for Ukraine despite any information storms," the expert added.
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