Russia’s ambassador to UK rejects coronavirus vaccine hacking claims

UK, Canada and US have accused group linked to Moscow of trying to steal research information

Russia’s ambassador to the UK has rejected allegations that hackers linked to the country’s intelligence services targeted British coronavirus vaccine research.

Andrei Kelin said there was “no sense” in the claims, which were made earlier this week.

In a joint announcement, British, Canadian and US security agencies claimed that a group of hackers with links to Russian intelligence were trying to steal information from research bodies around the world.

It is thought vaccine research facilities at Oxford University and Imperial College London were among those targeted by the hackers known as the Dukes, or Cozy Bear.

Oxford’s potential vaccine is understood to have seen promising results in initial testing, with data to be published next week into one of the world’s leading candidates.

Asked about the alleged attempts to steal details of coronavirus research on BBC One’s The Andrew Marr Show, Mr Kelin said: “I don’t believe in this story at all. There is no sense in it.”

Mr Kelin added: ”I learned about [the hackers’] existence from British media.

“In this world, to attribute any kind of computer hackers to any country, it is impossible.”

The ambassador also commented on the British foreign secretary’s claim that “Russian actors” tried to interfere in last year’s general election by “amplifying” stolen government papers online.

The documents – relating to US-UK trade talks – were picked up on by Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour leader at the time, who said they were evidence of the Conservatives preparing to open up the NHS to US pharmaceutical companies.

However, Mr Kelin said his country had no interest in interfering in British domestic politics.

“I do not see any point in using this subject as a matter of interference,” he said.

“We do not interfere at all. We do not see any point in interference because for us, whether it will be the Conservative Party or Labour Party at the head of this country, we will try to settle relations and to establish better relations than now.”

Mr Kelin also claimed that Russian officials had discovered “several cyberattacks” originating from UK territory during Russia’s recent constitutional referendum, which paved the way for Vladimir Putin, the president, to remain in power until 2036.

The ambassador said Russia was not “accusing the United Kingdom as a state” of being involved in the attacks but did not give further details as to their nature.

The British security minister said earlier this week the UK is 95 per cent certain that cyberattacks against labs developing a Covid-19 vaccine were carried out by the Russian state.

James Brokenshire said that was the assessment of the National Cyber Security Centre.

Additional reporting by Press Association