Russia is on the path of information war, and configured it seriously. Because, according to the Agency TASS, citing defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, “propaganda must be smart, competent and efficient.” And despite the fact that the attacks and counter-attacks in the form of intervention, deception, espionage are not the invention of our time (even before the “fake news” called the word “disinformation”), it affects the statement of Shoigu on Wednesday 22 February in the state Duma that “During this time created the troops information operations that much more efficient and stronger management, which was called counter-propaganda”. For the first time a member of the government acknowledged the existence of the cybernetic units in the Ministry of defence.
“Information troops,” said the Chairman of the Duma Committee on defense Vladimir Shamanov, was designed primarily “to protect the interests of national defence and antagonism in information sphere. Information warfare, said Shamanov, whose words are quoted by Interfax news Agency, in essence, is an integral part of the overall confrontation. Proceeding from this, Russia has made efforts for the formation of structures that is involved in this case”.
Says a source from the Council, quoted by the RBK, the task of these “Internet soldiers”, is essentially “a reflection of hacker attacks and conduct counter-propaganda both inside the country and abroad, both online and in the media.” The source expressed surprise at the fact that the Minister Shoigu openly spoke of “secret information”.
As I wrote a month ago, another Russian daily newspaper “Kommersant”, on this virtual front, Russia takes the fifth place in terms of development “cyberarmies” after the USA, China, UK and South Korea. It is composed of maybe about a thousand people, and annual funding of about $ 300 million compared to 9 thousand people and 7 billion dollars of American information operation.
The response of Western governments, pointing a finger at Moscow, accusing it of meddling in the election campaign of other States, will be given not only in the military sphere. On Wednesday, the Russian foreign Minister launched a new initiative to combat the spreading of false news, in the new section shows examples of the hostile and inaccurate information published in foreign media. From now on the foreign Ministry website message, considered to be false, will be “tainted” huge red seal “fake”, fake. The press Secretary of the foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova explained, “first published the fake news, unsubstantiated by any facts. This information is disseminated and distributed on the Internet begins to determine public opinion. And then, a few months later, published the explanation, but the damage is done”.
Among the examples of “fake news” provides information about cyber attacks against the Emmanuel Macron (Emmanuel Macron), one of the candidates for the French presidency in the April elections of the Russian trace in the destabilization of the situation in Montenegro, about the launch of cruise missiles in violation of a disarmament Treaty. “This article is written on the print, which contains information not corresponding to reality.” The Word Moscow.
