West’s attacks on Russia with use of information tech reach unprecedented level — diplomat

Artur Lyukmanov pointed to US doctrinal documents, which state in particular that the United States "views information and communication technologies as a weapon"

MOSCOW, April 10. /TASS/. Attacks carried out against Russia by Western coalition countries with the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) are unprecedented in terms of their scale and pressure, a head of the information security department with the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday.

"Current challenges are unprecedentedly great in the sphere of international information security, in the use of information and communication technologies," Artur Lyukmanov, director of the Foreign Ministry’s International Information Security Department and Russian Presidential Envoy for International Cybersecurity Cooperation, said speaking at a meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club.

"It’s beyond any doubt that this whole field of information and communication technologies is obviously not ours. Copyright holders and developers operating in this field mostly come from the West and the United States in particular…," he continued.

"Therefore, the continued attacks against our country are delivered from there, from abroad, and they are definitely unprecedented in terms of their scale and pressure," Lyukmanov noted.

In this regard, the diplomat pointed to US doctrinal documents, which state in particular that the United States "views information and communication technologies as a weapon."

He also noted that Washington uses ICT "primarily against unwanted regimes that they themselves arbitrarily appoint, which… include Russia, China, and many other countries."

"They directly state intentions to inflict a strategic defeat on our country with the use of non-kinetic means, and this primarily implies information means," Lyukmanov added.

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