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Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský stated that Russia is currently responsible for 80% of influence operations worldwide.
He made this remark during the International Conference “Resilient Europe,” as reported by the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The main topic of the one-day conference was foreign interference, influence operations, and foreign disinformation, which pose an increasing threat to the security of both the Czech Republic and Europe as a whole.
“Currently, Russia is responsible for 80% of influence operations worldwide. This is four times more than the rest of the world combined. We need much more determination in countering the Kremlin’s influence than we have shown so far,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Communications Department, Karel Smekal, noted that the war against Ukraine and the Kremlin’s aggressive policies clearly illustrate the need for more effective counteraction to hybrid threats.
“The information space is a battlefield for the Russian regime, and state communication is becoming an urgent necessity,” he added.
Recently, the EU, amid increasing instances of Russia’s destabilizing activities, stated that these actions would not affect its support for Ukraine.
Additionally, the Moldovan authorities uncovered a Russia-backed operation involving 130,000 citizens of the country, aimed at influencing the voting in a referendum on joining the European Union.
Earlier this summer, NATO mentioned that Russia’s hybrid operations and cyberattacks could be considered grounds for activating Article 5.
Read also: Russia’s hybrid actions will not prevent EU support for Ukraine – Borrell
