Coronavirus vaccine: Russia rejects hacking charge, accuses UK of cyber attacks

Russia’s ambassador to the UK, Andrei Kelin, rejected allegations that hackers linked to the country’s intelligence services targeted British coronavirus vaccine research, and accused Britain of cyber attacks against Russia.

Britain’s National Cyber Security Centre said on Thursday that vaccine and therapeutic sectors in multiple countries have been targeted by a group known as APT29, which it said is “almost certainly” part of Russian state intelligence. Security agencies in the US and Canada later backed the findings.

Kelin said Russian officials had discovered “several cyber attacks” originating from the UK during the country’s recent constitutional referendum, which paved the way for President Vladimir Putin, to remain in power to 2036. He said Russia isn’t “accusing the United Kingdom as a state,” but declined to give further details.