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Coronavirus pandemic

Western fear-mongering: Kremlin slams claims Russia spreads coronavirus disinformation

The spokesman stressed that the accusations come from unidentified officials

Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov Mikhail Mettsel/TASS

Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov

© Mikhail Mettsel/TASS

MOSCOW, July 29. /TASS/. Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov has castigated claims that Russia is allegedly promoting a coronavirus pandemic ‘disinformation’ campaign, branding it an ongoing neurotic obsession.

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"Russian media outlets are actively working to cover the coronavirus situation. Indeed, the [situation] in Russia is not without problems but it is overcoming the difficult period better than many other countries," he told reporters Wednesday. Peskov also pointed out, "all media outlets are highlighting the considerable difficulties that the United States is having as it endures this period."

"Therefore, in this case when someone talks about some disinformation, it is a perpetual phobia, and there shouldn’t be any accusations of disinformation hurled against high-quality and objective reporting by mass media outlets," the Kremlin representative insisted.

Earlier, The Associated Press and The New York Times published articles accusing Russia of advancing a disinformation campaign about the pandemic. They allege that two former employees of the Russian Main Intelligence Directorate Alexander Starunsky and Denis Tyurin supposedly were disseminating disinformation about the COVID-19 pandemic via websites.

"In this case, we are not reacting to the unidentified officials [cited by The Associated Press and The New York Times], even more so that they are mentioned by The New York Times, therefore, we do not see any reason for any reaction," the Kremlin spokesman specified.

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