The Russian intelligence service GRU is suspected of being behind a series of high-profile attacks on foreign targets.
The accused Russians are suspected of cyber attacks in order to, among other things, influence foreign elections and destroy other countries' infrastructure, the US Department of Justice announces.
According to the indictment, the six suspected Russian intelligence agents through data breaches "intended to support the Russian government's efforts to undermine, retaliate or otherwise destabilize" Ukraine, Georgia, the elections in France and the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang in South Korea 2018, writes ABC News.
According to Reuters, attacks were also planned against the Tokyo Olympics, which were to be held this summer but which due to the corona pandemic were moved to 2021, and against the Paralympics.
"No country has used its cyber resources as maliciously or irresponsibly as Russia, which has ruthlessly inflicted unprecedented damage to achieve small tactical benefits," said John C. Demers, head of the Justice Department's security department, at a news conference.
The attacks on the Tokyo Olympics are the latest in a series of hacker attacks on international sports organizations carried out by Russia after the doping scandal five years ago which meant that the country was not allowed to participate in the 2018 Olympics. Russia is also not allowed to participate in the Tokyo Olympics. in December shut down Russian sports for four years due to doping.