The Russian Embassy in the United States expressed disappointment at the fact that Washington groundlessly accused Moscow of allegedly carrying out cyber attacks against Georgia in 2019. The corresponding statement was published on February 22 on the diplomatic mission page on Facebook.

“Disappointed, but not surprised by yet another unproven accusations against Russia in connection with the alleged cyber attack on Georgia in October 2019,” the statement said.

The diplomatic mission also noted that the American side is increasingly resorting to the methods of "tabloid journalists."

“The main thing for them (United States. - RT ) is to launch a sensation. It’s regrettable that in the USA they are increasingly less likely to recall that there are international law standards, according to which accusations against sovereign states must be accompanied by evidence, ”the Russian embassy reports.

The diplomatic mission also indicated that the United States and the West generally prefer to use a “rule-based order” when “speculation supported by a sufficient number of“ allies and partners ”is presented as“ ultimate truth. ”

At the same time, the department declares Russia's readiness "for an expert dialogue on all pressing issues on the international agenda."

“Ensuring information security - among them. Unfortunately, colleagues do not go to substantive discussions, replacing professional diplomacy with "megaphone", the Russian embassy said.

Earlier, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs categorically rejected the accusations of Georgia and a number of Western countries against Moscow, pointing out the obvious political background of such attacks.

“The lack of evidence and the political motivation of the clearly staged informational stuffing is obvious. There is no evidence of involvement of Russian official structures in malicious activity in the electronic networks of Georgia, and it cannot be, ”the statement of the Russian department emphasized.

As indicated in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, “all the charges are again built in the spirit of the notorious“ highly likely ”.

“The synchronization of the propaganda campaign organized by Washington, London, Tbilisi and others is noteworthy,” the statement said.

  • The building of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia
  • RIA News
  • © Natalya Seliverstova

At the same time, the Russian Foreign Ministry called it “regrettable” that “Georgia itself does not want to abandon the line to demonize Russia”, but noted that “overcoming the existing differences and continuing the normalization process meets the fundamental interests of the Russian and Georgian people”.

A separate statement was made at the Russian Embassy in Canada. The diplomatic mission condemned the actions of Ottawa, stressing that the new accusations against Moscow are part of the “Russophobic lies” that are spread by the Canadian authorities along with the American and Georgian leaders. It is also noted that such a policy leads to "further degradation of the already weakened relations between Russia and Canada." The agency announced this on its Twitter page.

Accusations against Russia


Recall that on February 20, the ministries of foreign affairs of Georgia, the United States, Great Britain and Canada accused Moscow of a large-scale cyber attack carried out on October 28, 2019 on Georgian Internet sites, including portals of the presidential administration, the government, courts and television channels.

“According to the findings of the investigation conducted by the Georgian authorities and the information collected jointly with partners, this cyber attack was planned and carried out by the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation,” the Georgian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

  • View of Tbilisi
  • Reuters
  • © David Mdzinarishvili

However, no evidence of Russia's involvement in this attack was given. Instead, the Georgian side said that as a result of the attack, the servers and operating systems, including government agencies, were largely damaged, "which seriously affected their functionality."

Georgia believes that in this way Russia "again encroaches on the sovereignty of Georgia" in order to "impede its movement along the path of European and Euro-Atlantic integration and democratic development."

A similar statement was made by the head of the Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs, Vakhtang Gomelauri, once again mentioning the “Russian trace”. However, according to him, Tbilisi cannot "go into details" of what happened.

It is worth noting that statements with similar accusations against Russia appeared almost simultaneously on the websites of the US Embassy in Georgia and the British Foreign Ministry. At the same time, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo laid the responsibility for the cyber attack on the General Directorate of the General Staff of Russia. According to him, the Russian agency allegedly “subjected Georgia to a large-scale cyber attack of a subversive nature”.

It is also noteworthy that the head of the Department of State provided details about the "attack", which were not in the statement of the Georgian side.

“The incident, which directly affected the population of Georgia, disrupted the operation of several thousand Georgian state and private websites and caused interruptions in the broadcasting of at least two large television channels,” Pompeo said in a statement.

At the same time, the head of the State Department promised "to provide support to Georgia and its people with regard to strengthening cybersecurity and counteracting malicious entities operating in cyberspace."

“We will provide additional assistance to build capacity, including technical, to help work to strengthen Georgia’s state institutions and expand its capabilities to protect against such activities,” said the US Secretary of State.

  • US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
  • Reuters
  • © Darren Ornitz

Great Britain, in turn, called the “GRU campaign against Georgia” “impudent and reckless”.

“These cyber attacks are part of a long Russian campaign to carry out hostile and destabilizing actions against Georgia. The UK clearly understands that these cyber attacks were carried out by the GRU in an attempt to undermine the sovereignty of Georgia, sow discord and violate the usual way of life of the Georgian people, ”the statement on the website of the British Foreign Ministry said.

Later, Canada came forward with accusations against Russia. On February 21, a statement appeared on the Canadian Foreign Ministry’s website accusing Russia of “malicious actions” aimed at “sowing discord” in Georgia ahead of the parliamentary elections.

“Propaganda mechanism”


As noted by an expert at the International Institute for Humanitarian and Political Studies, Vladimir Bruter, the USA, Great Britain and Canada provide more detailed information about this “cyber attack” than Georgia.

This fact, according to the analyst, suggests that the initiator of the "investigation" and the idea to blame Russia were precisely Western countries, primarily the United States.

“Georgia does not have sufficient cyber capabilities. It is quite obvious that Tbilisi in this case uses the data of other countries, which made false conclusions regarding the role of Russia in these attacks, ”Bruter said in an interview with RT.

At the same time, the United States, with enviable regularity making such accusations against Russia, categorically refuses to create an international response group on controversial issues, including in the cyber sphere, the expert recalled.

“After all, then they would have to document their claims and provide evidence. And so they have the opportunity to blame without evidence - it’s more convenient for them, ”said Bruter.

In turn, the director of the Roosevelt Foundation for the Study of the United States at Moscow State University, Yuri Rogulev, emphasized that the West uses a well-known propaganda mechanism.

“Goebbels also said that many times repeated lies become true. Repeatedly broadcasting all sorts of fictions and conjectures, the West seeks to form in the heads of people that this is true. True, which is beneficial to them, ”said the expert in a conversation with RT.

Analysts point out that such accusations against Russia by Western countries are not the first time. Moreover, all of them were put forward without providing any evidence, as this time. According to Yuri Rogulev, Great Britain, the USA and Canada make such statements in order to justify their anti-Russian rhetoric and actions directed against Moscow.

“Western countries, speaking with such attacks on Russia, are no longer trying to provide evidence. Western society no longer needs them. The hysteria around the notorious “Russian threat” has grown so much in the political establishment and the media that people believe in what they are told, without even going into details and without requiring evidence, ”the expert summed up.