Hacking accusations against Russia a smear campaign timed with NATO cyberwarfare meeting – diplomat

The latest wave of accusations against Russia over alleged government-ordered hacking looks very much like a coordinated media attack timed with a NATO meeting of cyberwarfare, the Russian ambassador to UK told RT.

On Thursday, the UK and the Netherlands claimed that they had foiled cyber attacks by Russian government hackers while the US indicted seven agents of Russian military intelligence for a series of alleged hacking attacks. Canada joined in the chorus, saying that “malicious cyber-operations” also targeted the nation.

The media storm that immediately ensued is simply part of a coordinated attacks on Russia that lack proper proof and are meant to smear its reputation, believes Russian ambassador to Britain Alexander Yakovenko.

“There is a meeting of NATO countries in Brussels today and they are discussing cyberwarfare. NATO countries are basically planning to create their own cyber forces,” Yakovenko told RT, referring to a meeting of NATO defense ministers in the Belgian capital. Among other things the ministers agreed to share cyber capabilities while NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg used the occasion to condemn Russia for its alleged hacking operations.

“We see a well-coordinated campaign to discredit Russia. Of course, from my point of view that’s unacceptable,” the Russian diplomat said.

Yakovenko added that there was a pattern of behavior by Western nations, which used the media to amplify anti-Russian allegations while providing little or no evidence at all to back the claims. And after the media hype is over, whatever case they have against Russia is not shown to the public for scrutiny.

“We have seen this with the [Aleksandr] Litvinenko case. We know how it ended up – with most of the information concerning the [poisoning] classified. Nobody has any access to that,” the diplomat said.

He added that the calls by some British lawmakers and government officials, who said Russia must be punished by cyberattacks that would hurt its economy, are concerning.

“They are calling for something that contradicts the international law,” Yakovenko pointed out.

Russia believes that whatever concerns other nations have about its actions should be discussed at talks with facts at hand and in a serious manner and not broadcast through the media in the way that is happening now.

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