The west launched a transatlantic offensive against Vladimir Putin’s espionage activities on Thursday, accusing Russian military intelligence of a brazen cyber crime spree that targeted multiple authorities investigating Kremlin wrongdoing across the globe.
The legal assault was led by the US and Dutch governments, who accused Russia’s GRU military intelligence directorate of a litany of hacking attacks, including a thwarted incursion against the international chemical weapons watchdog and sports agencies that accused Russia of state-sponsored doping.
The accusations made in Washington and The Hague revealed the vast scope of alleged Russian cyber espionage activities against the west, some of which appeared to have been carried out even after Nato allies publicised and issued sanctions based on earlier attacks.