Current:Home > NewsUK says Russia’s intelligence service behind sustained attempts to meddle in British democracy -MarketStream
UK says Russia’s intelligence service behind sustained attempts to meddle in British democracy
View
Date:2025-04-17 19:32:18
LONDON (AP) — Russia’s intelligence services targeted high-profile British politicians, civil servants and journalists with cyberespionage and “malicious cyberactivity” as part of sustained attempts to interfere in U.K. political processes, Britain’s government said Thursday.
The Foreign Office said Russia’s FSB agency was responsible for a range of cyberespionage operations in the U.K., including targeting British parliamentarians from multiple parties and “high-profile individuals and entities” from at least 2015, and selectively leaking and amplifying sensitive information to serve Russian interests.
Foreign Office minister Leo Docherty told lawmakers that a cybergroup known as “Star Blizzard,” which British cybersecurity officials believe to be “almost certainly subordinate” to an FSB unit, created false identities to impersonate legitimate contacts and compromise email accounts in the public sector.
“The targeting of this group is not limited to politicians but public-facing figures and institutions of all types. We have seen impersonation and attempts to compromise email accounts in the public sector, universities, media, NGOs and wider civil society,” Docherty said.
Authorities said the group was responsible for the 2018 hacking of the Institute for Statecraft, a U.K. think tank that worked on defending democracy against disinformation, and the leaking of U.S.-U.K. trade documents ahead of the 2019 British general election.
The Foreign Office said that “while some attacks resulted in documents being leaked, attempts to interfere with U.K. politics and democracy have not been successful.”
It said the U.K. on Thursday imposed sanctions on an FSB intelligence officer and a member of Star Blizzard for involvement in the so-called spear-phishing operations. The Russian ambassador to the U.K. has also been summoned, the Foreign Office said.
“Russia’s attempts to interfere in U.K. politics are completely unacceptable and seek to threaten our democratic processes,” Foreign Secretary David Cameron said in a statement. “Despite their repeated efforts, they have failed.”
veryGood! (84)
Related
- Man can't find second winning lottery ticket, sues over $394 million jackpot, lawsuit says
- LeBron James says son Bronny 'doesn't give a (expletive)' about critics
- The White House faces many questions about Biden’s health and medical history. Here are some answers
- Julia Fox seemingly comes out as lesbian in new TikTok: 'So sorry, boys'
- The FTC says 'gamified' online job scams by WhatsApp and text on the rise. What to know.
- Former US Sen. Jim Inhofe, defense hawk who called human-caused climate change a ‘hoax,’ dies at 89
- Novak Djokovic blasts 'disrespect' from fans during latest Wimbledon victory
- Horoscopes Today, July 7, 2024
- Apple iOS 18.2: What to know about top features, including Genmoji, AI updates
- Woman swallowed whole by a python in Indonesia, second such killing in a month
Ranking
- Daughter of Utah death row inmate navigates complicated dance of grief and healing before execution
- 2024 French election results no big win for far-right, but next steps unclear. Here's what could happen.
- Christina Hall Reveals Daughter Taylor's One Request for New Show With Tarek and Heather Rae El Moussa
- 3 killed after small plane crashes in rural North Carolina
- A Georgia governor’s latest work after politics: a children’s book on his cats ‘Veto’ and ‘Bill’
- The inspiring truth behind the movie 'Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot'
- Bethenny Frankel Shares Message From Olivia Culpo Amid Ex Paul Bernon and Aurora Culpo Rumors
- ‘This is break glass in case of emergency stuff': Analysts alarmed by threats to US data gathering
Recommendation
Vance jokes he’s checking out his future VP plane while overlapping with Harris at Wisconsin airport
Big 12 football media days: One big question for all 16 teams, including Mike Gundy, Deion Sanders
Topical gel is latest in decades-long quest for hormonal male birth control
The Daily Money: Good tidings for home buyers
In ‘Nickel Boys,’ striving for a new way to see
Get 40% Off Charlotte Tilbury, 50% Off Aritzia, 60% Off Adidas, 50% Off Gap Linen Styles & More Deals
Argentina vs Canada live updates: Time, Messi injury news for Copa America semifinal today
What does a jellyfish sting look like? Here's everything you need to know.