KYIV, Feb 23 – Ukraine appears to be a target of an information warfare that has led to a panic over alleged spread of coronavirus triggering clashes between protesters and police on Thursday, Prime Minister Oleksiy Honcharuk said Friday.

Honcharuk’s comments came a day after the violent clashes had taken place in the Poltava region with protesters trying to stop return of 72 Ukrainians and foreigners evacuated from Wuhan, the epicenter of coronavirus outbreak.

"The events that took place are the result of the information war, which continues to be waged against our country both from within and from the outside,” Honcharuk said. “I think the media space will continue to be pumped up to create panic, to discourage people, to sow distrust and discord among us.”

Police and security agencies are investigating the protests, but early findings show a well-coordinated campaign involving hacking and use of numerous social media accounts to spread false information that coronavirus in Ukraine.

U.S. officials said Sunday that thousands of Russian-linked social media accounts have launched a coordinated effort to spread alarm world-wide about the coronavirus, disrupting global efforts to fight the epidemic, AFP reported.

The disinformation campaign promoted unfounded conspiracy theories that the United States is behind the coronavirus outbreak, in an apparent bid to damage the US image around the world by seizing on health concerns.

False personas have been being using Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to advance Russian talking points in multiple languages, the officials said.

"Russia's intent is to sow discord and undermine US institutions and alliances from within, including through covert and coercive malign influence campaigns," said Philip Reeker, the acting Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Eurasia.

"By spreading disinformation about coronavirus, Russian malign actors are once again choosing to threaten public safety by distracting from the global health response," he said.

The claims that have been circulating in recent weeks include allegations that the virus is a US effort to "wage economic war on China," that it is a biological weapon manufactured by the CIA or part of a Western-led effort "to push anti-China messages."

A fake email, purported to be from the Ukrainian Healthcare Ministry, sent out recently was an instrumental part of the coordinated campaign to trigger panic by alleging that there were five previously unreported cases deadly coronavirus in Ukraine.

Currently, there are no known cases of coronavirus in Ukraine, according to the government. The SBU security service said the email originated from ‘outside of Ukraine,’ but did not elaborate.

Honcharuk said Ukraine has paid particular attention to safety while choosing the place to accommodate those evacuated from Wuhan. He dismissed any health concerns spread in the social media.

"We had never evacuated people under such circumstances before, and it was essential to ensure epidemiological security. First and foremost, we were thinking about the safety of the people who provided the transportation and residents of nearby territories,” Honcharuk said. (tl/afp/ez)