Russia is using information operations to discredit democratic elections worldwide, according to a U.S. intelligence report sent to around 100 countries on Oct. 20, several media outlets reported.

While Moscow's past strategy focused on backing specific candidates, their new methods seek to sow distrust toward the electoral process, portraying elections as dysfunctional and their results illegitimate, the document said.

"Russia is pursuing operations to degrade public confidence in the integrity of elections themselves," the U.S. said in a cable sent to embassies of around 100 countries in the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Africa, and obtained by the Associated Press.

The Kremlin was reportedly encouraged by its past success in amplifying disinformation related to the COVID-19 pandemic and the U.S. 2020 presidential elections, where unsuccessful Republican candidate Donald Trump spread unfounded accusations of electoral fraud.