March 14, 2025 02:39 am (IST)
Follow us:
facebook-white sharing button
twitter-white sharing button
instagram-white sharing button
youtube-white sharing button
In a setback for Donald Trump, US judge orders federal agencies to rehire fired workers: Report | 'We will thwart conspiracies hatched by Centre': Revanth Reddy on delimitation exercise | Chennai doctor, his wife along with two sons die by suicide due to huge debt: Cops | Amid language debate, Tamil Nadu drops rupee symbol in state budget | Scientist killed in assault by neighbour over parking argument in Mohali | British woman tourist raped in Delhi hotel by man she befriended on social media | Gold smuggling case: Court restrains media from publishing, telecasting defamatory statements against Ranya Rao | Trump warns Putin of 'devastating' financial impacts if Russia blocks Ukraine ceasefire | 'People are going to Russia right now as we speak: Donald Trump on Ukraine war ceasefire talks | Pakistani army claims to have freed all hostages in passenger train siege; 28 personnel killed

Dutch authorities brief world chemical weapons watchdog on alleged Russian cyber attack

| @indiablooms | Oct 05, 2018, at 09:54 am

New York, Oct 5 (IBNS): The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs briefed the Director-General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) on Thursday, over allegations that a cyber attack was being plotted in April, against the headquarters of the OPCW, orchestrated by Russia.

The Ministry informed the OPCW chief that the attack was disrupted by the Netherlands Defence Intelligence and Security Service, which reportedly caught four alleged Russian agents who were in possession of specialist hacking equipment, near OPCW Headquarters in The Hague.

The briefing came as the United States and the United Kingdom, joined the Netherlands on Thursday in accusing Russian spies of involvement in a series of “cyber-plots” across the globe. Russia's Foreign Ministry is reported to have dismissed the allegations.

The OPCW is the UN-backed implementing body, consisting of more than 190 Member States, for the Chemical Weapons Convention, which aims to eliminate chemical weapons and their use. The Convention has proved to be the world’s most successful disarmament treaty so far, eliminating an entire class of weapons of mass destruction.

On 4 September, the OPCW delivered its report on the “toxic chemical incident” in Salisbury, in the UK, produced at the request of the UK Government. A former Russian intelligence officer Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia, were poisoned, and the toxin later resulted in the death of a third person.

Based on an investigation by an expert OPCW team, which collected bloods samples from the three individuals, as well as environmental samples from the site, the report showed that the toxic chemical was a nerve agent of high purity.

Russia has repeatedly denied any involvement in the Salisbury poisonings.

In a statement released on Thursday, the OPCW thanked the Dutch Government, which as host country, is responsible for ensure the protection of the Organisation’s headquarters, for its actions and said that it takes the security of its information systems and networks, very seriously, noting a rise in cyber-related attacks since early 2018.

The Director-General said that OPCW Technical Services has undertaken measures to mitigate further attacks.

OPCW

 

Support Our Journalism

We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism

IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.

Support objective journalism for a small contribution.