Kremlin media steps up 5G health scare stories in US

THE television network RT America, Russia’s propaganda arm in the US, is stepping up warnings about the alleged health impact of 5G networks in what has been called “information warfare”.

The channel has broadcast a string of reports discussing claims that the technology could endanger the lives of Americans in a “5G apocalypse”.

The New York Times found the network had run seven programmes on the subject already this year.

The reporting comes despite Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, recently announcing that his country would push ahead with 5G networks.

Experts believe the RT broadcasts are an attempt to undermine US enthusiasm for the technology, which could

‘Russia doesn’t have a good 5G play so it tries to discredit ours with information warfare’

give nations who adopt it first a competitive edge over international rivals.

In one segment aired in January, a reporter was asked by the host if there was a catch with the tech benefits 5G was expected to bring. “Just a small one – it might kill you,” she replied.

She added that the technology could be harmful to health, was an “experiment on humanity” and could constitute a “crime under international law”.

Much of the reporting centres on radio waves and their impact on health, according to The New York Times.

RT America, known as Russia Today, was forced by the Justice Department to register as a foreign agent in 2017.

A report by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence that year said the network was “the Kremlin’s principal international propaganda outlet”.

Ryan Fox, the chief operating officer of New Knowledge, told The New York Times that RT America’s 5G reporting amounted to “information warfare”. He said: “Russia doesn’t have a good 5G play, so it tries to undermine and discredit ours.”

Anna Belkina, RT’S head of communications in Moscow, defended the network’s coverage of 5G, telling the paper: “Unlike many other media, we show the breadth of debate.

“Our American audience expects us to bring American concerns to the front, first and foremost.”