[Asia Economy Reporter Park Byung-hee] The United States and Russia are clashing again over COVID-19 vaccines.
According to the Wall Street Journal on the 7th (local time), the U.S. government claimed that baseless information about American and European vaccines, including Pfizer, is being spread by four media outlets linked to Russian intelligence agencies.
The Global Engagement Center (GEC) under the U.S. Department of State stated that these four media outlets have been continuously publishing articles pointing out vaccine side effects and raising doubts about their efficacy. The GEC indicated that these four outlets appear to be directly connected to Russian intelligence agencies. Although these outlets do not have many visitors, the GEC warned that false information could be amplified and reproduced through other media.
The four media outlets identified by the GEC are New Eastern Outlook, Oriental Review, News Front, and Level Inside. The GEC pointed out that the Russian government has previously used these four outlets to spread false information.
According to the GEC, New Eastern Outlook and Oriental Review operate under the direction and control of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR). These two outlets mainly provide information to the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. In an August report last year, the U.S. Department of State classified New Eastern Outlook as an organization supported by the Russian government. News Front operates under the direction of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB), the successor to the Soviet KGB. It is based in Crimea and produces information translated into 10 languages. From February to April last year, its visitor count approached 9 million. Level Inside is controlled by the Russian Military Intelligence Directorate (GRU).
A U.S. Department of State spokesperson said, "The Russian intelligence agencies are responsible for the propaganda, agitation, and dissemination of false information by these four media outlets," adding, "Since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak last year, we have confirmed that Russia has been developing and spreading false information." The State Department pointed out that these outlets repeatedly produce negative news that casts doubt on vaccine side effects and safety.
News Front published an article in January claiming that people vaccinated with Pfizer and Moderna vaccines could experience facial muscle paralysis, and in February, it reported that a man in California tested positive for COVID-19 even after receiving the Pfizer vaccine. New Eastern Outlook ran an article in January stating that the U.S. possesses biological laboratories worldwide capable of causing epidemics.
In the U.S., there is analysis that Russia spreads false information about vaccines to increase the market share of its own vaccine, Sputnik V.
In response, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov dismissed the U.S. claims as nonsense and insisted that Russian intelligence agencies have no involvement. Peskov argued that the U.S. is mistakenly interpreting the numerous global debates about vaccines as a Russian conspiracy.
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