UK says Russia sought to interfere in 2019 election by leaking documents online
Source: Guardian/Reuters
Britain has said that Russia sought to interfere in the 2019 general election by illicitly acquiring sensitive documents relating to a planned free-trade agreement with the US and leaking them on social media.
It is almost certain that Russian actors sought to interfere in the 2019 general election through the online amplification of illicitly acquired and leaked government documents, said the foreign secretary, Dominic Raab.
Sensitive government documents relating to the UK-US free-trade agreement were illicitly acquired before the 2019 general election and disseminated online via the social media platform Reddit, Raab said.
The government reserves the right to respond with appropriate measures in the future, he added.
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/jul/16/uk-says-russia-sought-to-interfere-in-2019-election-by-leaking-documents-online
(all there is so far; but see also the developing story about the parliamentary Intelligence and Security Committee - sitting on a report into previous Russian political interference because it hasn't been formed since the Dec 2019 election. Boris Johnson wanted the incompetent but loyal Chris Grayling to chair it; a Tory MP, Julian Lewis, got elected by the committee (ie by the 3 Labour, 1 SNP members and himself, over the other 4 Tory MPs) to chair it instead. He's been suspended from the Tory parliamentary party. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/jul/16/julian-lewis-attempt-to-impose-grayling-was-improper-request . Many think Johnson was looking for a way to further delay or censor the report.)
bucolic_frolic
(43,511 posts)Targeting the electric grid worries me. Imagine that chaos.
NCjack
(10,279 posts)must be replaced with people committed to defend against them.