Putin is 'probably directing' Russian influence operation to denigrate Biden, CIA assessment reportedly says

Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a teleconference meeting of the Military-Industrial Commission of the Russian Federation, at his Novo-Ogaryovo state residence, outside Moscow on Septe
(Image credit: MIKHAIL KLIMENTYEV/SPUTNIK/AFP via Getty Images)

A top-secret CIA assessment reportedly concluded that Russian President Vladimir Putin is "probably" directing influence operations to denigrate Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.

The reported CIA assessment was detailed Tuesday by The Washington Post columnist Josh Rogin, who quotes it as saying, "We assess that President Vladimir Putin and the senior most Russian officials are aware of and probably directing Russia's influence operations aimed at denigrating the former U.S. Vice President, supporting the U.S. president and fueling public discord ahead of the U.S. election in November."

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William Evanina, director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center, said in August that Russia was "using a range of measures to primarily denigrate" Biden and that "some Kremlin-linked actors are also seeking to boost President Trump's candidacy on social media and Russian television." However, CNN notes that U.S. intelligence agencies had not provided "any assessment" on the possible involvement of Putin.

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Brendan Morrow

Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.