OTTAWA—Canadian troops preparing to deploy to Latvia are bracing for a Russian campaign of misinformation meant to undercut the credibility of their mission, part of a NATO operation to counter Moscow’s aggression in Europe, Canada’s top general says.

Gen. Jonathan Vance, the chief of defence staff, says the many preparations for the coming deployment include a “sophisticated” communications strategy to push back against expected Russian moves to turn public sentiment against the Canadians and the deployment.

“I think Russia will certainly see this as something to interfere with so we will take all the precautions we can,” Vance told reporters Friday.

By September, up to 1,500 military personnel, including some 450 Canadians, will be in Latvia as part of a NATO operation to reassure Eastern European countries unsettled by Russian moves in Crimea.

Vance said that Russia has conducted “strategic communications” aimed at previous NATO exercises and expects a similar response this time to make it appear that “Latvia doesn’t want us there.”

“There will be a desire to skew way out of proportion and potentially provide falsehoods about what is actually happening in Latvia with Canadian troops,” he said.

“We have to take on a sophisticated, strategic communications role so that truth prevails,” he told reporters following an address to a defence conference.

This week, media reports revealed that an email was circulated to officials in Lithuania and media outlets suggesting German soldiers based in the country had raped a teenage girl. After a police investigation, it was determined the report was false. A local prosecutor told Reuters that the email was sent from a country outside the European Union.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters at NATO headquarters in Brussels that incident underscores the need to be vigilant.

“I think what we have seen in Lithuania just reminds us of the importance of resilience against these kinds of stories; the importance of a free independent critical press,” he said.

Vance said the Liberal government is currently considering another pivotal deployment for the military — a decision on peace support operation.

While planning has been in the works for months — cabinet ministers even pledged a decision before the end of last year — Vance suggested the changing global environment has forced extra study of the options laid out by the military.

“Committing troops to operation . . . deserves deep contemplation and reflection and a certainty that it’s the right thing to do at the time, given what’s going on in the world today,” Vance said.

There’s been speculation that the Liberal government is holding off a decision until it better understands the priorities of U.S. President Donald Trump and his new administration. Yet Vance denied that his recent trip to Washington along with Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan’s recent trip to meet his U.S. defence officials was in part to get the green light for the peace deployment.

“We weren’t going to Washington for permission to do anything. We were going to Washington to reset, reestablish, start a relationship with the new administration,” Vance said.

The Star has reported that Mali is the likely choice but Vance cautioned that is only an “assumption,” saying that military is laying plans to deploy to “challenged conflict spaces.”

“We are absolutely prepared on a range of options to conduct peace support operations in a number of places,” he said.

Speaking at the Conference of Defence Associations, Vance delivered a state-of-the-union style address on the state of the armed forces that touched on other areas, including:

Gender: Vance, who set a target last year to boost the number of women in the ranks, said the armed forces is making progress and said it can now boast a record number of women in the general and flag ranks. But a woman cadet in the audience confronted Vance with a practical concern, asking when the military will adapt gear, such as body armour and rucksacks, that are designed for men. “The fit . . . is not quite functional or practical,” she said, to applause. Vance had a simple response: “You’re right.”

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Mental health: Vance said the defence department has “arguably one of the best mental health systems in the country” but efforts must continue to break down stigmas “to make sure that people get the care they need. Fifty per cent of those who commit suicide were not in formal mental health care and they need to be.”

Recruiting: Vance said the armed forces will become more “proactive” in how it recruits new personnel. “If we want to become more diverse and inclusive of more and more women, we’re going to have to change. There was a time when we could sit back and say ‘come and join us.’ That doesn’t work anymore.”