Amid reports of Russian interference in the upcoming general elections in 2019, Russia said today that it has never interfered in the internal politics of other countries as it goes against its fundamental principles of foreign policy

The Russian Embassy in New Delhi said it has noted a Press Trust of India (PTI) report quoting "a social media expert" from a British university alleging that Russia would target elections in India and Brazil through their media institutions that apparently "need learn and develop".

Last week an Oxford University expert who appeared before the US Senate Intelligence Committee had told the panel that Russia is now attempting to meddle in the democratic processes of countries like India and Brazil.

However, the Russian embassy dismissed the statement saying: "This blatantly false and unfounded assertion is a phoney attempt to drive a wedge between Russia and her BRICS partners following the success of the recent summit meeting of the group in Johannesburg."

Philip N Howard, a professor of Internet Studies at the Oxford Internet Institute and Balliol College at the University of Oxford had told the US Senate that Russians were going to target Brazil and India who will be going to the polls in the next few years.

The US Senate committee was hearing the case related to foreign influence on social media platforms with focus on alleged Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential elections.

"It has become a common knowledge that Russia enjoys the comradery with India and will never do anything that goes against interests and dignity of the friendly Indian nation," the Russian embassy said in its Facebook post.

"Russia has never interfered in internal politics of other countries as it goes against the fundamental principles of our foreign policy," it said.