The head of Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) has accused Western media outlets of running an “information war” against Moscow.
FSB chief Alexander Bortnikov warned Kremlin officials on Friday that outlets such as CNN and The Washington Post were targeting the country, the BBC Russian Service reported.
Speaking during a private session at the Russian parliament, Bornikov accused Western outlets of attempting to influence Russian politics and generating “fake news.”
He also spoke at length about recent cyber-security incidents and challenges such as the WannaCry virus, the threat of hacking and Russia's attempt to replace imported foreign computer software with domestic equivalents.
The FSB chief ultimately recommended beefing up existing legislation to fight against cyber threats, the BBC reported.
The meeting follows a report by Russia's ruling United Russia party about U.S. media's alleged attempt to influence Russia’s domestic affairs, including the 2016 State Duma elections.
The investigation concluded that a “large-scale U.S. system," including media outlets such as Voice of America, Radio Svoboda and the CNN television channel, had been used to "influence domestic politics in Russia."
