MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 06th July, 2020) The Russian Interior Ministry recorded attempts of foreign interference into the nationwide voting on constitutional amendments, Russian Deputy Interior Minister Igor Zubov said on Monday.
"I can confirm that throughout the entire period of preparation and holding of the all-Russian vote, attempts were detected to influence the will of Russian citizens by spreading false information about the voting process from mobile phones and internet sources registered mainly abroad," Zubov said.
According to the deputy minister, the authorities received information about the alleged meddling from open sources and through their own channels.
"These facts were shared with the territorial authorities for verification. The inspection was carried out by [communications watchdog] Roskomnadzor, the police and election commissions. The vast majority [of meddling incidents] were not confirmed. Their legal assessment is currently underway," Zubov added.
Meanwhile, Andrey Klimov, the head of the Russian upper house's Commission on Protecting State Sovereignty, stated that foreign officials and media attempted to influence the voting process.
The amendments to Russia's 1993 constitution came into force on Saturday after gaining the support of 77.92 percent of people who cast their ballots in a nationwide vote. The turnout was just below 68 percent.
