Russia "No Involvement in US Pipeline Hacking"

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Yujin Cho] Russia has been identified as the culprit behind the largest cyberattack on a U.S. oil pipeline, but Russia strongly denied any involvement in the attack.

Dmitry Peskov, Kremlin spokesperson, told reporters on the 10th (local time) that "Russia was not involved in the cyberattack on the U.S. pipeline operator," according to TASS news agency. He refuted U.S. President Joe Biden's claim that Russia was responsible for the hacking attack on the U.S. pipeline, stating, "Russia has nothing to do with it." When asked if Russia was ready to engage in dialogue with the U.S. regarding the incident, he responded, "The side refusing cooperation in the fight against cybercrime is the United States."

The Russian Embassy in the U.S. also issued a statement saying, "We are paying attention to some media attempts to blame Russia for the pipeline hacking," and emphasized, "We firmly reject baseless fabrications and stress that Russia does not engage in malicious activities in cyberspace."

It added, "Russia has consistently advocated for professional dialogue with the U.S. on international information security issues," and "Currently, our embassy has no information regarding any cooperation requests from the U.S. side."

On the 7th, Colonial Pipeline, the largest U.S. pipeline operator, was hit by a ransomware attack, causing fuel supply disruptions in the southeastern U.S. for the fourth consecutive day.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) identified DarkSide, a newly emerged hacking criminal group that has rapidly risen since last year, as the culprit behind the attack.

President Biden stated, "There is no evidence that Russia was involved, but there is evidence that the hackers' ransomware is located in Russia," adding, "Russia bears some responsibility in addressing this issue."