Russia using cyber hacks to 'disable' western democracy

Vladimir Putin's Russia is using cyber attacks to undermine democracy in Europe and the United States, Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon has warned.

Speaking at the University of St Andrews, Fallon accused Russia of "weaponising misinformation" and called on Nato to do more to combat the "false reality" being created by the Kremlin.

"Nato must defend itself as effectively in the cyber sphere as it does in the air, on land and at sea," he said.

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The Defence Secretary said there had been a "persistent pattern of behaviour" by Moscow, highlighting a series of cyber attacks that had been linked to Russia.

"Today we see a country that in weaponising misinformation has created what we might now see as the post-truth age. Part of that is the use of cyber-weaponry to disrupt critical infrastructure and disable democratic machinery," he said.

"Russia is clearly testing Nato and the west. It is seeking to expand its sphere of influence, destabilise countries and weaken the alliance."

Moscow is believed to have orchestrated "a string of high-profile cyber attacks across Europe and America", the Daily Telegraph says, including an interruption of French television channel TV5 Monde broadcasting in 2015 and a shut-down of the German parliamentary network months later.

Fallon used the speech to back US President Donald Trump's call for Nato member states to "honour the commitment to spend two per cent of GDP on defence", Sky News says.

However, his "anti-Russian rhetoric contrasts with that of Donald Trump, who, in a shift from his predecessor, Barack Obama, appears to be moving towards rapprochement with Moscow", The Guardian says.

The speech comes just ahead of Prime Minister Theresa May's arrival in Malta for an informal EU summit, at which she is expected to push for a funding boost from EU Nato members.