The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (VSRF) has organized a new service branch apparently called the Russian Information Warfare Troops, revealed Russian Defense Minister and General of the Army Sergei Shoigu.

If this branch is indeed a new service branch, its addition will bring to six the number of service branches in the VSRF. The other services are the Russian Ground Forces; Russian Aerospace Forces; Russian Navy; Strategic Missile Troops and Russian Airborne Troops.

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Gen. Shoigu's admission the Russian Information Warfare Troops do exist is the first official acknowledgement of this unit. He made this disclosure during a speech before the Federal Assembly, Russia's version of a parliament, but one under the iron control of Vladimir Putin.

Gen. Shoigu didn't reveal the precise mission of the Information Warfare Troops, only saying that Russian propaganda "needs to be clever, smart and efficient."

A ranking member of the lower house of the Federal Assembly did confess, however, that the Information Warfare Troops' task is to "protect the national defense interests and engage in information warfare" and to repel enemy cyberattacks.

The information troops are also expected to protect Russia's data systems from enemy attacks. Unbelievably, one source in Parliament said the information troops are not allowed to initiate hacking attacks on foreign countries.  

Sources in the VSRF said that some influential generals are arguing that Russia should rely on information warfare troops to fight against Western propaganda.

"We must stop offering excuses and force the West into the defensive by conducting operations to expose its lies," said retired Col. Gen. Leonid Ivashov, former head of the Defense Ministry's international cooperation department.

Besides confirming the existence of the Information Warfare Troops, Gen. Shoigu also divulged the VSRF received large numbers of new and refurbished equipment in 2016, including 41 intercontinental ballistic missiles.New equipment is in the pipeline, as well.

He said the air force will receive 170 new aircraft this year, while the ground forces will receive 905 upgraded tanks and other armored vehicles. The navy will receive 17 new ships, mostly smaller vessels. 

TagsArmed Forces of the Russian Federation, ussian Defense Minister and General of the Army Sergei Shoigu, Russian Information Warfare Troops, VSRF