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MOSCOW (AP) — Russia's defense minister is acknowledging the formation of a new branch of the country's military — information warfare troops.
In a statement touting a wide-ranging military modernization, Sergei Shoigu wouldn't describe the mission of the information warfare troops, but noted: "propaganda needs to be clever, smart and efficient."
The head of the defense and security committee in the upper house of parliament was equally vague, telling the Interfax news agency that the information troops will protect Russia's data systems from enemy attacks, not wage any hacking attacks abroad.
The revelation comes marks Russia's first official acknowledgement of the existence of such forces.
U.S. intelligence agencies have accused Russia of hacking Democratic emails to meddle in the U.S. election, a claim Moscow has denied. Some EU officials also voiced concern that the Kremlin could seek to influence this year's elections in the Netherlands, France and Germany.
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