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WORLD NEWS Thursday 23 February 2017

Russia military acknowledges new branch: info warfare troops

V. ISACHENKOV saying that the information
Associated Press warfare troops’ task is to
MOSCOW (AP) — Along “protect the national de-
with a steady flow of new fense interests and engage
missiles, planes and tanks, in information warfare,”
Russia’s defense minister according to the Interfax
said Wednesday his nation news agency. He added
also has built up its muscle that part of their mission is
by forming a new branch to fend off enemy cyberat-
of the military — informa- tacks.
tion warfare troops. Viktor Ozerov, the head of
Sergei Shoigu’s statement the upper house’s defense
— which came amid West- and security committee,
ern allegations of Russian also told Interfax that the
hacking — marked the first information troops will pro-
official acknowledgement tect Russia’s data systems
of the existence of such from enemy attacks, not
forces. wage any hacking attacks
Speaking to parliament, abroad.
Shoigu said that the military U.S. intelligence agencies
received a sweeping array have accused Russia of
of new weapons last year, hacking Democratic emails Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu speaks in the State Duma, the Lower House of the Russian
including 41 intercontinen- to meddle in the U.S. elec- Parliament, in Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2017. The defense minister said Wednesday
tal ballistic missiles. tion, a claim Moscow has along with a steady flow of new missiles, planes and tanks, Russia also has built up its muscle by
He added that the wide- denied. Some EU officials forming a new branch of the military _ the information warfare troops.
ranging military moderniza- also voiced concern that (AP Photo)
tion will continue this year, the Kremlin could seek to
with the air force set to influence this year’s elec-
receive 170 new aircraft. tions in the Netherlands,
The army will receive 905 France and Germany.
tanks and other armored Retired Col. Gen. Leonid
vehicles, and the navy will Ivashov, the former head
receive 17 new ships. of the Defense Ministry’s
Also this year, three regi- international cooperation
ments of Russia’s strategic department, said that Rus-
nuclear forces will receive sia should rely on informa-
new intercontinental bal- tion warfare troops to fight
listic missiles, Shoigu said. back against what he de-
Each regiment has up to 10 scribed as Western propa-
launchers. ganda.
The rising number of new “We must stop offering ex-
weapons has raised de- cuses and force the West
mands for new personnel. into the defensive by con-
Shoigu said the military cur- ducting operations to ex-
rently needs 1,300 more pi- pose its lies,” Ivashov said
lots and will recruit them by in remarks carried by RIA
2018. Novosti news agency.
Declaring the formation A severe money crunch
of the dedicated informa- after the 1991 collapse of
tion warfare troops, Shoigu the Soviet Union left the
noted that “propaganda military in tatters, with most
needs to be clever, smart of its planes grounded and
and efficient.” He wouldn’t ships left rusting at harbor Shop Crocs at:
describe the troops’ mis- for lack of funds. As part of
sion. President Vladimir Putin’s Amito
Retired Gen. Vladimir Sha- military reforms, the armed Caya Betico Croes 10
manov, the head of de- forces have received new Aruba
fense affairs committee in weapons and now en-
the lower house of parlia- gage in regular large-scale Tel: +297 582 3797
ment, was equally vague, drills.q