The Pentagon is developing tactics for waging an information war that can be used against the Russian leadership if Moscow “tries to intervene” in the US presidential election in 2020, writes The Washington Post, citing unnamed sources.

It is reported that, as targets, the Cyber ​​Command of the US Armed Forces, in particular, is considering key figures in the Russian special services and the army, as well as the "oligarchs." At the same time, the sources of the publication note that the possible measures, most likely, will not concern Vladimir Putin, since such a step may be considered "too provocative."

The essence of the plan of the US military is to demonstrate to the object of the attack that his confidential personal information can be hacked if the alleged "interference" in the elections does not stop.

Another possible option for impacting Russia under consideration in the Pentagon is the dissemination of misinformation, which will be aimed at intensifying contradictions and creating a split among members of the Russian government and establishment.

It is reported that any such steps will require consideration by other US departments, including the State Department and the CIA, as well as the approval of the country's defense minister. Other details of such operations were not disclosed, and the Pentagon and the US Cyber ​​Command refused to comment on this information.

At the same time, the publication, citing an unnamed former senior official, notes that a draft of similar measures was developed by the National Security Council back in 2016 under the administration of Barack Obama, but at that time the initiative did not find support.

  • US Armed Forces Cyber ​​Command
  • © US Army Cyber ​​Command

Commenting on these reports, a member of the Federation Council Committee on Foreign Affairs, Sergei Tsekov, in an interview with RT, stated that there was nothing original in the published plans for conducting an information war.

“The United States is constantly waging an information war against Russia. This is some sense of life for the American community. So there is nothing original in this statement. As for countering Russian interference in the elections, the Americans have already achieved 100% effect. Russia has never interfered in the election process and is not going to, ”he said.

The senator also expressed the opinion that the effect of any American tactics of conducting an information war against Russia "will be very weak."

“Russian society is consolidated, very well understands the nature and mentality of the American community. So we do not succumb to any propaganda on their part, ”concluded Tsekov.

No intervention detected

Recall that the American secret services accused Russia of interfering in the election campaign before the 2016 presidential election. Later, a commission was formed to investigate these circumstances, led by special prosecutor Robert Muller, the former head of the FBI.

In April 2018, he published a report on the results of the work of the commission, one of the main conclusions of which was the lack of evidence of the ties of the Donald Trump team with Moscow. At the same time, Washington continued to accuse Moscow of alleged attempts to influence the election processes in the United States.

So, in October, the US Senate Intelligence Committee issued another report on Russia's "interference" in the presidential election. The authors of the document said that the "information war" by Russia allegedly spreads further than the US presidential election in 2016.

“Their goal is much wider: to sow discord in society and to discredit the state apparatus in his eyes. Flooding social networks with falsifications, conspiracy theories and trolling, as well as speculating on existing differences, Russia is trying to sow distrust among our fellow citizens for democratic institutions and for each other, ”said Richard Burr, head of the Senate Intelligence Committee.

The Russian side has consistently rejected any accusations against it, in particular, pointing out that no evidence was presented during the investigation - only unfounded claims were put forward. Moreover, Moscow emphasizes that it is Washington’s actions that constitute direct interference in Russia's internal affairs.

  • Robert Muller
  • Reuters
  • © Jonathan Ernst

Returning to the publication of The Washington Post, the first deputy chairman of the State Duma’s defense committee, Alexander Sherin, referred to the outlined plans for conducting an information war as subversive against Russia.

“Most likely, these programs are more related to military developments. I think that such measures are being worked out to conduct intelligence operations in relation to our country, ”suggested the source. According to him, objectively and technically, the Russian side does not threaten the United States.

In turn, the Director General of the Center for Political Information, Alexei Mukhin, noted that the published information inspire certain concerns.

“Given the informatization of our societies, the de facto US declares war on Russia and it is regrettable. If they mean something else, they must explain exactly what measures they will take in order to, as they say, prevent interference in the presidential election, ”the expert emphasized.