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13th Jul 2018

12 Russian intelligence officers indicted for hacking 2016 US election

They have been criminally charged with hacking and leaking the emails of senior Democrats during the 2016 presidential election campaign

Kyle Picknell

Deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein has announced the news following an ongoing investigation into Russian interference

A dozen Russian intelligence officers were indicted on Friday after for hacking and leaking the emails of senior Democrats during the 2016 presidential election campaign.

Rod Rosenstein announced the charges during a press conference in Washington, after they were filed by special counsel Robert Mueller.

Donald Trump, who is set to meet Vladimir Putin in Russia next week, has reportedly been briefed on the news.

Rosenstein said during the announcement: “The internet allows foreign adversaries to attack America in new and unexpected ways. The blame for election interference belongs to the criminals who committed election interference.”

Hillary Clinton’s campaign was memorably derailed by the leaks, which saw thousands of emails stolen from the accounts of staff at the Democratic National Committee and her campaign chairman John Podesta.

Intelligence agencies in the US have since confirmed the belief that the hacking, which included the technique ‘spearphishing,’ was part of an extensive operation ordered by Putin to boost Trump’s bid to become president of the United States.

The indicted Russians have also been accused of hacking into the software used by computer companies that run the US elections.