BRUSSELS (AP) — European Union experts say Russian state media and pro-Kremlin news outlets are waging a fake news campaign to undermine public confidence that Europe's health care systems can cope with the coronavirus. In a report seen by the Associated Press, EU strategic communications experts say they found nearly 80 instances in the last two months of virus-related disinformation “designed to exacerbate confusion, panic, and fear, and to prevent people from accessing reliable information." Among the examples, they cited as claims that the virus was a Western-made biological weapon. The report also cites stories that described COVID-19 as less harmful than the flu or exacerbated by taking ibuprofen. Russia denies allegations of spreading disinformation.

European experts accuse Russia of spreading fake virus news