Russia Denies Involvement in October Cyberattack against Georgia

On February 20, the information and press department of the Russian Foreign Ministry denied carrying out cyberattack against Georgia in late October, saying the yesterday’s “accusations” voiced by Georgia, the United States, the United Kingdom and a number of other countries “lack evidence,” and are “politically motivated.”

“There is none and there cannot be any evidence of the Russian official agencies’ involvement in malicious activities in the electronic networks of Georgia,” the statement reads. 

The Georgian Foreign Ministry announced on February 20 that the massive cyberattack of October 28, 2019 against the websites of Georgian government and private agencies, “was planned and carried out” by Russia’s military intelligence service. The UK and the U.S. as well as several other countries have also called out Russian campaign of cyberattacks against Georgia.

According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, this was a “synchronized propaganda campaign” against Russia, which affects the “already tense bilateral relations” between Russia and Georgia. “It is regrettable that Georgia does not want to abandon the line to demonize Russia, [and] to learn lessons from the previous crisis,” the statement says.

The Russian Foreign Ministry then notes that “to overcome the existing disagreement and to continue the process of normalization [of relations] responds to the core interests of the Russian and Georgian people,” however, it adds that “there are forces, which are not at all content with this.”

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