Russia caught disseminating COVID disinformation through three English-language websites: report

On Tuesday, The New York Timesreported that Russia used a trio of English-language sites to spread false information about the coronavirus pandemic.

"Russian military intelligence, known as the G.R.U., has used its ties with a Russian government information center, InfoRos, and other websites to push out disinformation and propaganda about the pandemic, such as amplifying false Chinese arguments that the virus was created by the United States military and articles that said Russia’s medical assistance could bring a new détente with Washington," reported Julian Barnes.

"Many of the articles created by Russian intelligence were published on InfoRos, a site controlled by the Russian government, and OneWorld.Press, a nominally independent site that U.S. officials said had ties to the G.R.U. American officials said other sites, such as GlobalResearch.ca, regularly amplify G.R.U. propaganda, but officials have not tied it directly to Russian intelligence," continued the report. "U.S. intelligence reports have identified two Russians, Denis V. Tyurin and Aleksandr G. Starunskiy, with ties to the G.R.U. and who make sure the messaging and disinformation crafted by the intelligence officials are pushed by InfoRos and on InfoBrics.org and OneWorld.Press."

"OneWorld published articles about how the pandemic was an experiment in manipulating the world," said the report. "InfoRos published an article, also published by Tass news agency, that said the United States was using the pandemic to impose its view of the world, according to American officials. InfoBrics.org published reports about Beijing’s contention that the coronavirus was originally an American biological weapon."

The U.S. media is struggling to contain misinformation about coronavirus, including from Trump himself, who has repeatedly spread falsehoods about the efficacy of a discredited COVID-19 protocol using the anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine.