PUTIN TROLLS TARGET BORIS
Raging despot launches fake news assault on UK
A NEW troll farm set up by Vladimir Putin is targeting the social media accounts of Boris Johnson and Ben Wallace to spread lies about his war.
And some of the cyber-warriors with the PM and Defence Secretary in their sights could even be based here, Whitehall sources fear.
The trolls use Islamic State tactics to dodge measures used by Facebook, Tiktok, Twitter, Youtube and Instagram, prompting calls for the firms to act. It comes as a Russian spy claims President Putin is so livid at UK support for Ukraine he has also ordered plans for “retribution” against the RAF or Navy. Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said: “We cannot allow the Kremlin and its shady troll farms to invade our online spaces with their lies about Putin’s illegal war. We will work with allies and media platforms to undermine
Russian information operations.” Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries added that Putin was trying to “deceive the world about the brutality he’s inflicting on Ukraine”.
The unit, known as Cyber Front Z, is based in St Petersburg but recruits Putin loyalists abroad to bombard politicians and websites with fake news.
It has suspected links to Kremlin crony Yevgeny Prigozhin, founder of the Internet Research Agency, which meddled in the 2016 US election.
Meanwhile, the spook who warned of attacks on UK military targets led by Russia’s secret services said: “On Putin’s orders, the retribution operation is in its final stage.”
He shared his fears with FSB defector Boris Karpichkov, who is hiding in Britain, saying Putin bizarrely blames the UK for Ukraine sinking his prized flagship, the Moskva.
The spy said Putin wants to strike Navy ships in revenge, with RAF units and naval bases also in the firing line.
Mr Karpichkov said: “These are grave threats, extremely serious.”
nigel.nelson@people.co.uk