Netherlands Accuses Moscow of Hacker Attack on OPCW, Summons Russian Envoy

TEHRAN (defapress)- Dutch Defense Minister Ank Bijleveld stated that the intelligence services thwarted a cyberattack on the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). According to the official, the four Russian nationals who are suspected of attempting to carry out an operation against the OPCW and were expelled from the country allegedly had diplomatic passports.

News ID: 72863

Date: 04 October 2018 - 17:13

"The Dutch government finds the involvement of these intelligence operatives extremely worrisome. Normally we don't reveal this type of counter-intelligence operation," Bijleveld told a news conference, claiming that the four Russians were GRU officers, RIA Novosti reported

She claimed that the purported attempts took place in April.

Bijleveld announced that the Russian Ambassador to the Netherlands had been summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for an explanation.

Meanwhile, the diplomatic mission told Sputnik that the Dutch Foreign Ministry had summoned Russia's charge d'affaires in the Netherlands.

"Our charge d'affaires ad interim was in the Dutch Foreign Ministry," the mission noted.

At a press conference in The Hague, Bijleveld called on Russia to cease its cyber activities purportedly aimed at "undermining" Western democracies.

The defense minister claimed that the Russians had a car full of electronic equipment parked near a hotel next to the OPCW's headquarters in The Hague and allegedly tried to hack into its computer system.

Bijleveld further alleged that a laptop of one of the four was linked to Malaysia, Brazil and Switzerland, adding that the activities in Malaysia were purportedly related to the probe into the 2014 MH17 downing over Ukraine.

"We have been aware of the interest of Russian intelligence services in this investigation and have taken appropriate measures. We remain very alert about this," she claimed.

While Russia's Permanent Representation to the OPCW refused to provide comment, a Russian Foreign Ministry source stressed that there "were and could be no" attacks on the OPCW by Moscow.

Meanwhile, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg weighed in on the accusations, saying that the alliance supported the Dutch and British governments' stance, and that it must call out Moscow on "blatant attempts to undermine international law and institutions".

"Russia must stop its reckless pattern of behaviour, including the use of force against its neighbours, attempted interference in election processes, and widespread disinformation campaigns," Stoltenberg said.

He further stated that the Netherlands had informed NATO Defense Ministers about the alleged cyberattack on the OPCW, and claimed that the attempted operation, purportedly carried out by GRU operatives, was foiled by Dutch intelligence.

Stoltenberg stressed that in light of the fresh accusations, NATO would enhance security to fight hybrid threats, including those in cyberspace.

"NATO will continue to strengthen its defence and deterrence to deal with hybrid threats, including in the cyber domain," he added at the meeting with NATO defence ministers.

British Ambassador to the Netherlands and UK Permanent Representative to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) Peter Wilson said that London would cooperate with its allies to update sanctions for cyberattacks.

“We will work with our allies through our institutions, including the European Union, to renew the sanctions regime in order to determine the response to the use of chemical weapons, fight offensive actions in cyberspace and punish human rights violations,” Wilson stated.

The Dutch Minister's statement comes just hours after the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Spokeswoman dismissed accusations by British and Australian authorities that Russian military intelligence, GRU, was behind a new wave of cyberattacks as "big fantasies".

Her response followed the statement by Britain's Defense Minister Gavin Williamson who branded Russia as a "pariah state" after cyber experts from the UK claimed that Russia's GRU operatives allegedly attempted to carry out an attack on the World Anti-Doping Agency last year.

"This is not the actions of a great power, this is the actions of a pariah state and we'll continue working with allies to isolate, make them understand they cannot continue to conduct themselves in such a way. We're going to make it clear where Russia acts that we are going to be exposing that action and we believe that by doing so this will act as a disincentive to act in such a way in the future," Williamson told reporters.

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