Pentagon Launching European Program to 'Leverage Social Media'

US Joint Staff official Brigadier General Charles Moore said that he US Department of Defense is preparing to launch European information operations to combat Russia in the information and social media domain.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The US Department of Defense is preparing to launch European information operations to combat Russia in the information and social media domain, US Joint Staff official Brigadier General Charles Moore said on Thursday.

"We are in the final stages of staffing the European Reassurance Military Information Support Operations Program, which will provide expanded authorities to conduct… training and in some cases, messaging support, to our partners in the region," Moore said in testimony to the US House Armed Services Committee.

In addition to training and support, the US European Command will launch a pilot program in 2016 to "leverage social media to deliver information to critical target audience," Moore added.

Moore, who serves as Deputy Director for Global Operations, claimed that Russian information operations are used to "influence, shape and define the conflict."

Beginning in 2014, the US government has increasingly focused efforts and resources on combating Russian media, which presents news and events differently than mainstream Western sources.

US and other Western officials, including Secretary of State John Kerry, have expressed concern over the past year at the quality and popularity of the Russian media’s international news coverage.