Russia and China Are Spreading Lies About Coronavirus, Pentagon Says

https://news.yahoo.com/russia-china-spreading-lies-coronavirus-134113237.html

Matthew Cox
,Military.com•April 10, 2020

U.S. Defense Department officials on Thursday outlined foreign attempts -- particularly by Russia -- to spread disinformation on the novel coronavirus, such as recent claims that handwashing doesn't prevent the spread of the deadly virus.

The Pentagon and other agencies in the U.S. government routinely work to counter false news stories and social media posts from foreign governments seeking to influence public opinion. It has been no different with COVID-19, officials said.

In March, China claimed that the U.S. was responsible for the virus. But Russia has been particularly prolific about spreading coronavirus disinformation to sow global mistrust and confusion, Laura Cooper, deputy assistant secretary of defense for Russia, Ukraine and Eurasia, told defense reporters during a call-in roundtable.

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Cooper said these kinds of claims have also come out of Russia and Iran, as they tried to convince the public that the U.S. was "purposely spreading COVID-19," Cooper said.

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