Russian President Vladimir Putin takes part in a news conference at the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia, October 24, 2024. (REUTERS)

An investigation by a London-based think tank reveals how Russia criticized the US federal government's response to hurricanes Helene and Milton.

Russia has helped amplify and spread false and misleading claims online about recent U.S. hurricanes and the federal government's response, part of a broader effort by the Kremlin to manipulate political discourse ahead of the presidential election, new research shows. .

The content, spread by Russian state media, social media and websites, criticizes the federal government's response to hurricanes Helene and Milton, exploiting real concerns about recovery efforts in an attempt to portray US authorities as incompetent and corrupt. , according to research by the Institute for Strategic Dialogue. The organization, based in London, tracks disinformation and extremism online.

In some cases, storm claims include fake images created with artificial intelligence, such as a photograph showing scenes of devastating flooding at Disney World that never happened, researchers say.

The approach is consistent with the Kremlin's long-standing practice of identifying legitimate debates and contentious issues in the United States and then exploiting them. Previous disinformation campaigns have tapped into debates about immigration, racism, crime, and the economy in an effort to portray the United States as corrupt, violent, and unjust.

Activity on the rise before the US election

U.S. intelligence officials and private technology companies say Russian activity has increased sharply ahead of the Nov. 5 election, as Moscow seeks to seize an opportunity to undermine its main global adversary.

By exploiting real concerns regarding disaster recovery, Russian disinformation agencies can force their way into American discourse by using hot-button issues to undermine the American public's trust in their government and each other.

“These are not situations that are created by foreign actors,” said Melanie Smith, ISD research director. “They are simply pouring gasoline on fires that already exist.”

The content identified by ISD included English-language publications obviously intended for Americans, as well as Russian-language propaganda aimed at domestic audiences.

Much of the misinformation targeted the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Democratic administration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, who is her party's nominee in the White House race against former President Donald Trump.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine remains the Kremlin's primary motivation for spreading lies about the hurricane response. If Russia is able to persuade enough Americans to oppose US support for Ukraine, that could pave the way for a Moscow victory, officials and analysts have warned.