U.S. says Russia spent $300 million worldwide to influence politics

Sept. 14 (UPI) -- A newly declassified U.S. intelligence review alleges that Russia has spent more than $300 million globally to influence foreign political events.

Since 2014, the Kremlin has given money to political parties, politicians and officials in at least two dozen countries, according to a State Department cable sent to 110 countries Tuesday.

NBC News reported that Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania and Madagascar were among the countries where election interference was attempted.

"What Russia is doing around the world in terms of its election meddling is also an assault on sovereignty, is an effort to chip away at the ability of people around the world to choose the governments that they see best fit to represent them, to represent their interests, to represent their values," State Department spokesperson Ned Price said Tuesday.

The review also found that the financing is expected to continue as President Vladimir Putin seeks to maintain his global influence and undermine sanctions in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The U.S. intelligence community will also be briefing certain countries about Russia's influence operations in their country.

"Part of our charge, not only is to do that assessment and to collect and to do that analysis, but then to expose what we know," Price said.

Some of the money was secretly given though Russian embassy accounts and resources. In one Asian country, the Russian ambassador gave millions of dollars in cash to a presidential candidate.

"Some of Russia's covert political financing methods are especially prevalent in certain parts of the world," the document said.

According to the New York Times, the cable specifically mentioned Yevgeny Prigozhin and Aleksandr Babakov as being involved in the influence campaigns. In April Babakov and two other Russian citizens were charged by the U.S. Department of Justice with conspiring to violate sanctions and commit visa fraud.

Prigozhin is known as "Putins' Chef," and is believed to finance the Wagner mercenary group.