Swiss defence minister warns of Russian propaganda

Swiss defence minister, Martin Pfister

Switzerland’s defence minister has warned of a growing campaign of Russian disinformation targeting the country.

Martin Pfister says Moscow is using so-called conspiracy narratives to undermine confidence in Switzerland’s neutrality, democracy and security.

He cited coordinated social media campaigns and hundreds of articles published each month by Russian outlets.

Pfister said a strong and independent media is now a key part of Switzerland’s national security.

He gave a specific example of a recent video which was shot in Geneva. It was re-posted by several pro-Russian accounts, taken out of context, and supposedly shows Switzerland falling into chaos - says Pfister.

He points out that the Russian platforms, Russia Today and Pravda, post 900 articles a month about Switzerland. 

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