Russia Rejects Accusations of Interference as Fake Bomb Threats Disrupt US Voting

Russia has vehemently denied any involvement in a series of fake bomb threats targeting polling locations in four key battleground states: Georgia, Michigan, Arizona, and Wisconsin, on Election Day in the United States, Al Jazeera reports.

The threats, while deemed not credible by the FBI, have sparked concerns about potential Russian interference in the election.

The FBI claimed that many of the warnings “appear to originate from Russian email domains.” Georgia, a key state for both presidential candidates, was particularly affected. Fulton County, which encompasses Atlanta, received over two dozen threats, leading to the brief evacuation of five polling sites. These locations reopened after some 30 minutes, but the county is seeking a court order to extend voting hours beyond the 7 pm (00:00 GMT) deadline due to the disruption. Similar threats were reported in DeKalb County, Georgia, also leading to the suspension of voting at five locations until police confirmed the safety of the sites.

Bomb threats were also sent to polling locations in Wisconsin’s capital, Madison, though these did not disrupt voting. In Michigan, reports of bomb threats were investigated, but none were deemed credible. Arizona, another key swing state, reported four fake bomb threats targeting polling sites in Navajo County.

Georgia’s Republican Secretary of State, Brad Raffensperger, directly blamed Russia for the threats. However, the Russian Embassy in Washington, DC, refuted the claim.

“We would like to emphasize that Russia has not interfered and does not interfere in the internal affairs of other countries, including the United States. As President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly stressed, we respect the will of the American people,” the embassy said.

Despite the concerns, a senior US cyber official reported no significant incidents on Election Day. The FBI is currently investigating the origin and nature of the bomb threats.