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| Russia accused of cyber-attack on chemical weapons watchdog | Russia accused of cyber-attack on chemical weapons watchdog |
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| A Russian cyber-attack on the headquarters of the international chemical weapons watchdog was disrupted by Dutch military intelligence weeks after the Salisbury novichok attack, the Netherlands defence minister has said. | A Russian cyber-attack on the headquarters of the international chemical weapons watchdog was disrupted by Dutch military intelligence weeks after the Salisbury novichok attack, the Netherlands defence minister has said. |
| The incident, which was thwarted with the help of British officials, came after the Sandworm cybercrime unit of the Russian military intelligence agency GRU attempted unsuccessful spear phishing attacks on the UK Foreign Office in March and the Porton Down chemical weapons facility in April. | The incident, which was thwarted with the help of British officials, came after the Sandworm cybercrime unit of the Russian military intelligence agency GRU attempted unsuccessful spear phishing attacks on the UK Foreign Office in March and the Porton Down chemical weapons facility in April. |
| Four Russian intelligence officers, believed to have been part of a GRU “cleanup” unit for earlier failed operations, travelled to The Hague on diplomatic passports in April after unsuccessfully launching a remote attack. | Four Russian intelligence officers, believed to have been part of a GRU “cleanup” unit for earlier failed operations, travelled to The Hague on diplomatic passports in April after unsuccessfully launching a remote attack. |
| At the time, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons was investigating the attempted assassination of Sergei Skripal and his daughter in the UK, as well as a chemical weapons attack in Douma, Syria. | At the time, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons was investigating the attempted assassination of Sergei Skripal and his daughter in the UK, as well as a chemical weapons attack in Douma, Syria. |
| The British ambassador to the Netherlands, Peter Wilson, said: “With its aggressive cyber campaigns, we see the GRU trying to clean up Russia’s own mess – be it the doping uncovered by Wada [the World Anti-Doping Agency] or the nerve agent identified by the OPCW.” | The British ambassador to the Netherlands, Peter Wilson, said: “With its aggressive cyber campaigns, we see the GRU trying to clean up Russia’s own mess – be it the doping uncovered by Wada [the World Anti-Doping Agency] or the nerve agent identified by the OPCW.” |
| They were caught “in flagrante” by Dutch security services on 13 April and immediately put on a plane back to Moscow. Their hire car was seized and found to contain a significant amount of technical equipment as well as laptops, phones, maps and cash. | They were caught “in flagrante” by Dutch security services on 13 April and immediately put on a plane back to Moscow. Their hire car was seized and found to contain a significant amount of technical equipment as well as laptops, phones, maps and cash. |
| Dutch officials also found taxi receipts from a GRU facility in Moscow to the airport and an antenna hidden under a coat, which British intelligence helped establish had been pointed at the OPCW in an attempt to intercept computer logins via the wifi network. Train tickets to Basel were also found, along with evidence of online searches for the Spiez lab, Switzerland’s institute for nuclear, biological and chemical protection. | |
| Authorities in the Netherlands released images of all four men arriving at Schiphol airport, accompanied by a Russian embassy official, as well as their reconnaissance pictures and passport details. All four were named, with two cyber operators identified as Aleksei Sergeyvich and Evgenii Mikhaylovich. | Authorities in the Netherlands released images of all four men arriving at Schiphol airport, accompanied by a Russian embassy official, as well as their reconnaissance pictures and passport details. All four were named, with two cyber operators identified as Aleksei Sergeyvich and Evgenii Mikhaylovich. |
| Senior British security officials said the same GRU “close access” unit had previously travelled to Malaysia to attempt to hack the investigation into Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, which investigators have said was shot down by a Russian military missile, killing all 283 passengers and 15 crew on board. | Senior British security officials said the same GRU “close access” unit had previously travelled to Malaysia to attempt to hack the investigation into Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, which investigators have said was shot down by a Russian military missile, killing all 283 passengers and 15 crew on board. |
| They said the unit, known in the Russian military as 26165, had also travelled to Switzerland during a Wada conference, at which officials from the International Olympic Committee and the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport were the victims of a cyber-attack, as well as to Brazil. | They said the unit, known in the Russian military as 26165, had also travelled to Switzerland during a Wada conference, at which officials from the International Olympic Committee and the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport were the victims of a cyber-attack, as well as to Brazil. |
| It emerged last month that the Dutch government had expelled Russian spies in April after they were accused of planning to hack into the Spiez laboratory, which confirmed a British claim that the Skripals had been exposed to the military-grade nerve agent novichok. The laboratory had also been investigating poison gas attacks by the Syrian regime, which is backed by the Kremlin. | It emerged last month that the Dutch government had expelled Russian spies in April after they were accused of planning to hack into the Spiez laboratory, which confirmed a British claim that the Skripals had been exposed to the military-grade nerve agent novichok. The laboratory had also been investigating poison gas attacks by the Syrian regime, which is backed by the Kremlin. |
| In a joint statement, the British prime minister, Theresa May, and her Dutch counterpart, Mark Rutte, said: “This attempt to access the secure systems of an international organisation working to rid the world of chemical weapons demonstrates the GRU’s disregard for the global values and rules than keep us all safe. | In a joint statement, the British prime minister, Theresa May, and her Dutch counterpart, Mark Rutte, said: “This attempt to access the secure systems of an international organisation working to rid the world of chemical weapons demonstrates the GRU’s disregard for the global values and rules than keep us all safe. |
| “Our action today reinforces the clear message from the international community: we will uphold the rules-based international system, and defend international institutions from those that seek to do them harm.” | “Our action today reinforces the clear message from the international community: we will uphold the rules-based international system, and defend international institutions from those that seek to do them harm.” |
| Maria Zakharova, the Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman, dismissed the hacking accusations as “big fantasies”. | Maria Zakharova, the Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman, dismissed the hacking accusations as “big fantasies”. |
| A senior British security official said: “For the GRU to get caught in this way would be considered a pretty bad day”. | A senior British security official said: “For the GRU to get caught in this way would be considered a pretty bad day”. |
| The Dutch defence minister, Ank Bijleveld, said Russian representatives had been summoned to the foreign ministry. She told reporters the decision to publicise the failed attack was a “far-reaching and unusual measure” designed to “send a very strong signal” to the Kremlin that such behaviour would not be tolerated. | The Dutch defence minister, Ank Bijleveld, said Russian representatives had been summoned to the foreign ministry. She told reporters the decision to publicise the failed attack was a “far-reaching and unusual measure” designed to “send a very strong signal” to the Kremlin that such behaviour would not be tolerated. |
| The head of Dutch counter-intelligence, Onno Eichelsheim, said: “We have concluded they targeted the OPCW during the period that the OPCW was occupied with the Skripal investigation, but we have not been able to prove that they targeted the OPCW because of the Skripal investigation.” | The head of Dutch counter-intelligence, Onno Eichelsheim, said: “We have concluded they targeted the OPCW during the period that the OPCW was occupied with the Skripal investigation, but we have not been able to prove that they targeted the OPCW because of the Skripal investigation.” |
| He said analysis of the men’s laptops showed they also had links to Switzerland and Malaysia. | He said analysis of the men’s laptops showed they also had links to Switzerland and Malaysia. |
| Commenting on the possible link to the Skripal investigation, a senior British security official said: “It’s hard to know their full intention as their operation failed. But judging from past form elsewhere, discrediting the investigation could well have been their motivation.” | Commenting on the possible link to the Skripal investigation, a senior British security official said: “It’s hard to know their full intention as their operation failed. But judging from past form elsewhere, discrediting the investigation could well have been their motivation.” |
| The OPCW had confirmed the UK’s analysis that a novichok nerve agent was used in the Salisbury attack, which was carried out by serving GRU officers who also operated under false aliases. | The OPCW had confirmed the UK’s analysis that a novichok nerve agent was used in the Salisbury attack, which was carried out by serving GRU officers who also operated under false aliases. |
| Wilson said British intelligence would continue “confronting, exposing and disrupting” Russian cyber-attacks. | Wilson said British intelligence would continue “confronting, exposing and disrupting” Russian cyber-attacks. |
| “We will shine a light on their activities, we will expose their methods, and we will share this with our allies. The GRU can only succeed in the shadows. We all agree that where we see their malign activities, we must expose it to together,” he said. | “We will shine a light on their activities, we will expose their methods, and we will share this with our allies. The GRU can only succeed in the shadows. We all agree that where we see their malign activities, we must expose it to together,” he said. |
| A senior British government official said: “Russian intelligence services are constantly conducting operations to try to penetrate UK government networks. It is a constant and pervasive threat. | A senior British government official said: “Russian intelligence services are constantly conducting operations to try to penetrate UK government networks. It is a constant and pervasive threat. |
| “Whenever international institutions investigate activities attributed to the Russian state, such as the work of OPCW or MH17, it seems the GRU pops up. There is a correlation between international investigation of Russian activity and the GRU.” | “Whenever international institutions investigate activities attributed to the Russian state, such as the work of OPCW or MH17, it seems the GRU pops up. There is a correlation between international investigation of Russian activity and the GRU.” |
| British officials refused to say whether the Russian agents would have been detained if they had been caught undertaking the same activity in the UK, stressing operational decisions were for Dutch authorities. | British officials refused to say whether the Russian agents would have been detained if they had been caught undertaking the same activity in the UK, stressing operational decisions were for Dutch authorities. |
| Asked if the UK undertook the same surveillance methods as Moscow, British government officials said: “British intelligence cannot to be put in the same moral and ethical bucket as the Russian security service. They do not have oversight.” | Asked if the UK undertook the same surveillance methods as Moscow, British government officials said: “British intelligence cannot to be put in the same moral and ethical bucket as the Russian security service. They do not have oversight.” |
| Last month, Theresa May pledged to step up action against Russian intelligence following the Salisbury attack. | Last month, Theresa May pledged to step up action against Russian intelligence following the Salisbury attack. |
| The British defence secretary, Gavin Williamson, called Russia a “pariah state” and said it would continue to be isolated by the international community. | The British defence secretary, Gavin Williamson, called Russia a “pariah state” and said it would continue to be isolated by the international community. |
| The shadow chancellor, John McDonnell, called for tougher financial penalties against Russia. “If there is hard evidence that we can accuse the Russians of activities in our country which are unacceptable and even criminal, we have to hit them where it hurts, in the pocket.,” he said. | The shadow chancellor, John McDonnell, called for tougher financial penalties against Russia. “If there is hard evidence that we can accuse the Russians of activities in our country which are unacceptable and even criminal, we have to hit them where it hurts, in the pocket.,” he said. |
| The revelations came hours after the British government directly accused Russian military intelligence of being behind a spate of “reckless and indiscriminate cyber-attacks” carried out on the orders of the Kremlin, including the hacking in 2016 of the US Democratic National Committee headquarters. | The revelations came hours after the British government directly accused Russian military intelligence of being behind a spate of “reckless and indiscriminate cyber-attacks” carried out on the orders of the Kremlin, including the hacking in 2016 of the US Democratic National Committee headquarters. |
| A joint statement by Donald Tusk and Jean-Claude Juncker, the presidents of the European council and European commission respectively, along with the EU’s foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, said: “We deplore such actions, which undermine international law and international institutions. | A joint statement by Donald Tusk and Jean-Claude Juncker, the presidents of the European council and European commission respectively, along with the EU’s foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, said: “We deplore such actions, which undermine international law and international institutions. |
| “The EU will continue to strengthen the resilience of its institutions and those of its member states, and international partners and organisations in the digital domain.” | “The EU will continue to strengthen the resilience of its institutions and those of its member states, and international partners and organisations in the digital domain.” |
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