Updated
Russian intelligence agents have been accused of attempting to access files related to the downing of Malaysian Airlines flight MH17, as well as hack the body investigating the poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal.
Key points:
- Four Russian men, accused of being hackers, were found with surveillance equipment next to the OPCW
- The chemical weapons watchdog was investigating an attack on a former Russian spy in Salisbury, in England
- A Russian spokeswoman dismissed the accusations as “big fantasies”
Dutch Defence Minister Ank Bijleveld made the allegations at a press conference in the Hague, saying Dutch authorities disrupted the attempt by Russian intelligence agents in April.
According to a presentation by the head of the Netherlands’ military intelligence agency, four Russians arrived in the Netherlands on April 10 and were caught with spying equipment at a hotel located next to the OPCW headquarters.
They said the men were also believed to have spied on the investigation into the 2014 downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over Ukraine, killing 298 people including 38 Australians.
At the time they were caught, the OPCW was working to verify the identity of the substance used in the March attack in Salisbury, England, on Mr Skripal and his daughter Julia.
It was also seeking to verify the identity of a substance used in an attack in Douma, Syria.
Russia backed the Syrian Government in denying accusations it launched a deadly chemical attack in the rebel-held town in Eastern Ghouta in April, killing at least 70 people.
The four Russians in the Netherlands were detained on April 13 and expelled to Russia, Dutch Major General Onno Eichelsheim said.
They had planned to travel on to a laboratory in Spiez, Switzerland used by the OPCW to analyse chemical weapons samples, he said.
The story behind Russian double agent Sergei Skripal
At the presentation, Major General Eichelsheim showed the antennae, laptops and other equipment he said the men intended to use to breach the OPCW’s wifi network.
According to Peter Wilson, the UK’s ambassador to the Netherlands, one of the laptops had been used in Brazil, Switzerland and Malaysia.
He said that it had been used to target Malaysia’s attorney general’s office and Malaysian police.
Mr Wilson said the laptop was used in the Lausanne to hack another laptop belonging to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
A Dutch investigation found the missile which brought down MH17 belonged to Russia, while WADA exposed widespread doping among Russian athletes.
According to the officials, the men were carrying diplomatic passports and were using equipment in the boot of a car they had hired, to point at the OPCW to intercept login details.
Speaking about Russia’s hacking attempts into the MH17 crash investigation, Ms Bijleveld said: “We have been aware of the interest of Russian intelligence services in this investigation and have taken appropriate measures.”
She added “we remain very alert about this”.
Russian military intelligence “is active here in the Netherlands … where a lot of international organisations are” based, Major General Eichelsheim said.
But Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova dismissed the new accusations, calling them “big fantasies”.
Russia has consistently denied any involvement in the Skripal chemical attack and the shooting down of MH17.
Jens Stoltenberg, the NATO Secretary-General, vowed to strengthen the alliance’s defences against attacks on computer networks.
“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,” he said in a statement.
“NATO will continue to strengthen its defence and deterrence to deal with hybrid threats, including in the cyber domain,” he added as NATO defence ministers met to discuss new offensive cyber capabilities.
Ms Bijleveld also called on Russia to cease its cyber activities aimed at “undermining” Western democracies.
Reuters/ AP
Topics: hacking, computers-and-technology, science-and-technology, security-intelligence, defence-and-national-security, netherlands
First posted
