“Using secret partnerships with leading <…> companies and providers, US and UK intelligence agencies <…> introduced secret vulnerabilities into commercial software”, – he said
“I do not want to claim that this hacking attack was carried out by these US agencies or one of them. But nevertheless, I repeat, the tactics are similar”, – the SVR chief added.
Naryshkin called the countries’ allegations of Russian involvement in various cyberattacks, poisonings, hacking, and interference in elections in other states “so ridiculous and at times even cheesy” that they are “even uncomfortable to comment.”
“I would be flattered to hear such assessments in relation to the Foreign Intelligence Service, which I head, such high marks. But it is not my rule to present the creative achievements of other authors, other performers as my own”, – Naryshkin said.
According to him, there is no evidence regarding the SVR’s involvement in the attacks.