NEW WHITEHALL UNIT IS SET UP TO EXPOSE KREMLIN FAKE NEWS

LIZ TRUSS has established a new anti-propaganda unit called the xHMG Russia-Ukraine Government Information Cell (GIC) to target Russian disinformation.

It comes after Kremlin-backed outlets spread false information about Russian troop movements and alleged human-rights abuses by Ukrainians.

Ms Truss said that the unit would pull together expertise from across Government, and would ‘build its capability to meet developing threats’ primarily, but not solely, related to Ukraine. The establishment of the first anti-propaganda unit since the Cold War comes after FCO officials identified more than 40 different ‘provocation’ stories disseminated by Russian sources since the beginning of February.

The amount of disinformation activity has doubled in the past week alone.

A Foreign Office source said: ‘This is all part of Liz’s strategy to expose Russian aggression and challenge Kremlin fake news. She’s determined that we do more to lift the lid on Kremlin propaganda and rebut it hard’.