PUTIN’s spies have eavesdropped on top UK politicians and officials, a Foreign Office minister has warned.
Leo Docherty claims private conversations of high-profile politicians and civil servants were compromised by Russia‘s principal security service during “sustained” attempts to interfere in UK politics.
GettyRussian spies may have eavesdropped on top UK politicians and officials, a Foreign Office minister said[/caption]
PAA group known as Star Blizzard could have steal information from a ‘significant’ number of parliamentarians[/caption]
It is understood the Foreign Office has since summoned the Russian ambassador to be told “these actions have consequences”, with the UK government later adding it has levelled “appropriate sanctions”.
Mr Docherty issued a statement in the Commons in which he said a cyber influence campaign by a group known as Star Blizzard, “almost certainly” a subordinate of an FSB cyber unit, had “selectively leaked and amplified information” since 2015.
The Foreign Office minister also said the group had conducted an exercise known as spear-phishing to steal information from a “significant” number of parliamentarians from multiple political parties.
MPs were told sanctions would be imposed on two members of Star Blizzard, including one who is understood to be an FSB intelligence officer.
UK deputy prime minister Oliver Dowden said Russia was “behind sustained hostile cyber operations aimed at interfering in parts of the UK democratic processes”.
MPs, Lords, civil servants, journalists, thinkthanks and NGOs have been those targeted in attempts to “meddle in British politics”, Mr Docherty told MPs.
The former head of the British Secret Intelligence Service, Sir Richard Dearlove, has confirmed he was one of the figures targeted, The Guardian reports.
The Foreign Office minister also confirmed it was Russia’s Star Blizzard that hacked the US-UK trade documents which made their way into Jeremy Corbyn‘s hands for his debate performance in the 2019 election.
“We want to be as open as we can be with the House and the British public,” Mr Docherty said.
“Our commitment to transparency stands in sharp contrast to the efforts of the KGB successors to exert influence from the shadows.”
He added: “Centre 18, a unit within Russia‘s FSB, has been involved in a range of cyber espionage operations targeting the United Kingdom.
“Secondly, that Star Blizzard, a cyber group the National Cyber Security Centre assesses is almost certainly subordinate to centre 18 is responsible for a range of malign activities targeting British parliamentarians from multiple parties.
“Thirdly, using these means the group have selectively leaked and amplified the release of sensitive information in service of Russia’s goals of confrontation.”
An official has also told Sky News that “Russia is targeting the UK’s democratic process.”
The source said the group “acquires information for the Russian state” and “supports FSB Centre 18”.
“This information is used to undermine the West in various ways,” the insider added.
“This group has acquired a vast amount of data.”
“It is very targeted – the number [of known hacks] is probably in the hundreds not thousands,” the official continued.
“We are coming towards an election year. We want to get this [hack and leak threat] more into the bloodstream – so people are more aware.”
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