Russian interference in the United States (US) presidential election in 2016

Abstract

There is significant evidence that the Russian government interfered in the 2016 United States (US) Presidential election, including through direct attacks against US election infrastructure and internet-based disinformation. Interference in the US election in 2016 represented a particularly sophisticated intrusion due partly to the use of cyber operations as an interference tool. Open-source information provides insight into Russia's interference methods; however, the precise motivation for pursuing interference remains unknown. Russian incentives to interfere in the US Presidential elections in 2016 remain a topic of debate in academia, politics, media and popular culture. Experts in the field of International Relations (IR)