A "fake news operation" directed against the US forces in Europe was carried out last week, the Lithuanian military said on Monday.
Analysts at the Lithuanian Armed Forces' Strategic Communication Department recorded a "complex multi-stage information operation" that aimed to discredit the US forces in Europe, the military said in a press release.
The operation was launched after the US Army Europe announced the renewal of Defender 2020 Plus military exercise, previously cancelled due to the coronavirus.
Read more: Fake news allege Lithuania will ask US to withdraw troops
Defender 2020 was first used for disinformation purposes in March when a fake email was sent to the NATO press office alleging that Lithuanian Defence Minister was pressing to continue military drills despite the pandemic.
The recent operation involved two fake news articles. They presented a counterfeit "view" of Christopher G. Cavoli, US Army Europe general, and Patrick O'Neal, US Army officer, allegedly stating that the Baltic states and Poland were not capable of training in the exercise.
In the second phase, fake email letters imitating the authorship of the Baltic News Service (BNS) and the Polish defence minister were sent to the media, institutions in other countries, and international organisations.
They included links to the fake news articles, including the falsified statements criticising the Polish and Baltic militaries.
Analysts also noted that while life is returning to normal, the coronavirus pandemic continues to be used to spread disinformation in Lithuania.
Last week, the military recorded 58 disinformation incidents involving Covid-19, with more than 60 per cent of them in the Russian language.
In total, 1,335 coronavirus-related disinformation incidents in Lithuanian, Russian, English, and French were identified online between February 1 and May 28.
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