Document: Seven GRU Officers Indicted for Hacking and Disinformation Operations
On Thursday, the Department of Justice unsealed an indictment of seven officers in the GRU, Russia’s military intelligence agency, on charges of computer hacking, wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and money laundering. The charges concern a disinformation operation against international anti-doping agencies in the wake of news reports on the Russian government’s systematic doping of the country’s athletes.
Published by The Lawfare Institute
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On Thursday, the Department of Justice unsealed an indictment of seven officers in the GRU, Russia’s military intelligence agency, on charges of computer hacking, wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and money laundering. The charges concern a disinformation operation against international anti-doping agencies in the wake of news reports on the Russian government’s systematic doping of the country’s athletes.
Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Demers announced the indictments for actions taken between December 2014 and at least May 2018, which amounted to “persistent and sophisticated computer intrusions” affecting U.S. persons and entities. Three of seven officers, according to Demers, were indicted by the Office of Special Counsel in July related to conspiracy to interfere with the 2016 presidential elections. (See Lawfare’s analysis of the indictment here). Demers stated that Thursday’s indictments “did not arise out of the Special Counsel’s work.” The indictment can be read here and below.
