Russian elections
In Russia, from 2015 to the envisaged 2018, various states spent more than $80 million (4.5 billion rubles) to affect the Russian elections, the deputy director of the Institute for Strategic Studies and Forecasts of the Russian People's Friendship University, Nikita Danyuk estimated.

The data is presented in the report "On the facts of interference in the information sovereignty of Russia before the presidential elections."

The expert explained that there are three channels of financing through which foreigners can influence the processes inside Russia and try to destabilize the public opinion situation: foreign media holdings, sponsoring in-Russian media and supporting so-called independent Russian journalists.

"The information space is one of the main, if not the main, spheres through which it is possible to effectively try to manipulate the consciousness of the masses," Danyuk believes.

Dmitry Yegorchenkov, director of the Institute for Strategic Studies and Forecasts at Peoples' Friendship University of Russia, also agrees that the information war is a reality we live in everyday.

"The further the electoral cycle in Russia develops, the more information wars will be fought against our country, which should be prepared for," he stressed.