Russia: Cyber attacks raise the risk of a "direct military clash" with the West
Russia warned the West on Thursday that cyber attacks on its infrastructure could lead to a direct military confrontation, and that attempts to challenge Moscow in cyberspace would be met with targeted countermeasures.
The warning comes after the Russian Housing Ministry's website appeared to have been hacked over the weekend, with a search for the site leading to a tag with "Glory to Ukraine" in Ukrainian.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that critical infrastructure and state institutions in Russia were being subjected to cyber-attacks, and blamed people in the United States and Ukraine.
"Be assured that Russia will not leave hostile acts unanswered... All our steps will be calculated and determined in accordance with our legislation and international law," the statement said.
"The West's militarization of cyberspace and attempts to turn it into an arena of confrontation between countries greatly increases the risk of a direct military clash with unforeseen consequences," the statement said.
The websites of many state-owned companies and news organizations have been subject to sporadic hacking attempts since Russia's invasion of Ukraine on February 24, often showing information that contradicts Moscow's official line on the conflict.
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