The US Department of Justice (DOJ) on Thursday said it has charged seven Russian intelligence officials with hacking anti-doping agencies and other organizations.
John Demers, assistant attorney general for DOJ's national security division, announced the indictment at a press conference.
DOJ's announcement came hours after Dutch authorities said they had disrupted an attempt by Russian intelligence agents to hack into The Hague-based Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in April.
US Assistant Attorney General for the National Security Division John Demers listens during a press conference to announce an indictment charging seven Russian military officers with malicious cyber activities against the US and its allies at the Department of Justice in Washington, US, October 4, 2018. /Reuters Photo
According to Demers, Russia's military intelligence agency, known as the GRU, targeted the hacking victims because they had publicly condemned Russia's state-sponsored athlete doping program.
The official also said that three of the seven Russians were previously charged by special counsel Robert Mueller.
The new indictment didn't arise out of Mueller's investigation of Russia's interference and potential coordination with the Trump campaign during the 2016 presidential election.
But Demers said the Russian hackers in the latest case allegedly used some of the same methods and had the same general goal: to spread disinformation and confusion.