Russian hackers: US levels charges against seven agents, Netherlands expels at least four
Washington, Oct 5 (IBNS): Days after the UK government accused Russia's military intelligence service, GRU, of carrying out four high profile cyber attacks across the globe, the US has leveled charges against seven agents.
The US justice department said that the hackers, who have been identified as Russian nationals, targeted a nuclear company in America, along with targeting other international facilities.
Meanwhile, the Netherlands have expelled four hackers, who the country said travelled with diplomatic passports.
The country said that the hackers were plotting to hijack the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) servers.
The OPCW had been probing the chemical attack, which took place earlier this year in the Salisbury region in the UK, on former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia.
According to the Dutch MIVD intelligence service, among the four hackers were two IT experts and two support staffs.
All four have been identified.
The Dutch MIVD named Alexei Morenetz and Yevgeny Serebriakov as the experts and Oleg Sotnikov and Alexei Minin as the support agents.
However, Russia has brushed off the allegations as 'Western Spy Mania'.
"It's unclear who is supposed to believe these statements accusing Russian citizens of attempting to mount cyber-attacks against the OPCW and trying to obtain data related to the Malaysian flight MH17, as if it is necessary to be near the target of your attack," a statement released by Russia's foreign ministry said.
"Any Russian citizen carrying a mobile device is seen as a spy," it added.
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