Russia reveals 'World War III' has begun

Russian soldiers study 3D models. Photo: Sputnik

Speaking at a specialized conference on the topic of Russia's Place in the Current International Political Scene, organized by the Moscow State Academy of International Relations, Mr. Krutskikh said that cyber attacks have become so frequent and serious that they have created a new world conflict, hidden from public view.

"A war is underway, and it is very fierce. Although information is hidden, in reality, full-scale hostilities are taking place in cyberspace. And in general, the media is right when they say that this is World War III. We do not know the extent of the damage, or who will ultimately win or lose, or what the structure of the world will be like as a result of the war," Mr. Krutskikh warned.

The Kremlin also wants to use the United Nations structure to reach international agreements on digital warfare, the official said, but complained that the United States and other countries have interfered with Russia's efforts to prevent Moscow from making the issue a priority.

In January this year, Mr. Krutskikh said, there will be “an important session of a special UN committee on the development of conventions on cyber warfare.” The session is an initiative supported by Moscow, Mr. Krutskikh added, stressing that “even here they are trying to use various arguments to reduce Russia’s role and are putting forward conditions to frustrate the negotiation process.”

Earlier this year, US President Joe Biden imposed sanctions on Russia, claiming that the Kremlin was behind a massive cyberattack on Texas-based SolarWinds that compromised the systems of more than 100 commercial companies around the world, as well as nine US government agencies. Moscow immediately denied the accusation, saying, "It's time to put things in order in the United States, where there have been repeated attacks on Russia's critical infrastructure."