Moscow: Russia’s military has created a force tasked with waging information warfare, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said yesterday, in a move likely to heighten the West’s concerns about what it sees as Moscow-sponsored “fake news”.
Russian military planners, like their counterparts elsewhere, see the spreading of propaganda as a crucial part of modern warfare.
Moscow’s activities in this area are under intense scrutiny after US intelligence agencies accused the Kremlin of mounting an “influence operation” to help Donald Trump win the US presidential election last November.
European intelligence agencies have also said Moscow is seeking to destabilise governments and influence elections in Europe with cyber attacks and fake news. Moscow has denied interfering in other countries’ elections.
In an address to the State Duma, or Lower House of parliament, Shoigu said the new troops tasked with information warfare are more potent and effective than those used in the past.
“Propaganda must be smart, competent and effective,” the TASS news agency quoted Shoigu as saying. It did not specify when the troops were created.
