Russia slams US cyberattack claims as absurd
Russia dismisses Washington's allegations about conducting cyberattacks on US firms in retaliation for western sanctions on Moscow.
-
The US is still accusing Russia of launching cyber attacks despite being the country wherefrom the majority of attacks are launched
Moscow dismissed Wednesday as "absurd" accusations made by US President Joe Biden and the White House, which entailed Washington urging companies to protect themselves from possible Russian cyberattacks.
"These accusations against us are absurd," Russian deputy foreign minister Oleg Syromolotov said in a statement, accusing Washington of indulging in a "new outburst of Russophobia against the backdrop of the situation in Ukraine."
"We call on senior White House officials to stop spreading dangerous gratuitous accusations," he said, reminding that the largest number of cyberattacks against vital infrastructure sites in other countries "are carried out from US territory."
Biden had asserted Monday that it was a "patriotic" duty for US companies to upgrade their protection from possible Russian cyberattacks, which he claimed Moscow would carry out in retaliation against the Western sanctions imposed on it over its special military operation in Ukraine.
"The Russian government is exploring options for potential cyberattacks," he said.
The White House claimed that the attacks could target critical infrastructure operated and owned by the American private sector.
It is noteworthy that The Global Times reported that the US National Security Agency is using a typical weapon to target China, Chinese cybersecurity experts unveiled for the first time, saying the NSA is using it to monitor and hijack users' social media accounts, emails, and communication information.
Moscow launched its aforementioned operation for several reasons, including NATO's eastward expansion. Other reasons were the Ukrainian shelling of Donbass and the killing of the people of the Donetsk People's Republic and Lugansk People's Republic, in addition to Moscow wanting to "denazify" and demilitarize Ukraine.
In response, the US and its allies have rolled out comprehensive sanctions, including restrictions on the Russian central bank, export control measures, SWIFT cutoff for select banks, and closure of airspace to all Russian flights. Many of their companies have suspended their Russian operations.
