Russian interference in democratic processes – lessons from history
Russian interference in democratic processes – lessons from history

Summary/Abstract: The analysis of Russian electoral interference from a historical perspective provides an essential framework for understanding the strategic continuity, tactical adaptability and limits of democratic responses in the face of recurrent hybrid threats. A chronological approach makes it possible to identify the patterns of action used by the USSR and, subsequently, the Russian Federation, as well as how these methods were reconfigured to exploit the vulnerabilities of the contemporary digital environment. At the same time, the evaluation of past experiences – including the documentation of active measures by US congressional committees in the 1980s – contributes to understanding the lessons learned (or ignored) by democratic states. This historical analysis helps to formulate more coherent and informed ways of responding, given that influence operations are not new phenomena, but the expression of a long-term geopolitical strategy, in which perception, not just territory, becomes the main stake of the conflict.The article aims to analyse the evolution of Russian interference in democratic processes, following its continuity and adaptability from the Soviet period to the present. The research is based on a mixed methodology: historical analysis, international security studies and documented case studies.

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