Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs: West risks ‘direct military clash’ over cyberattacks

Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs cautions that the West’s cyberattacks on Russian infrastructure could escalate to a direct military conflict, as cyber warfare raises the risk of unpredictable consequences. The statement highlights Washington’s alleged deployment of cyberweapons and warns against aggressive actions, referencing recent cyber incidents involving Ukraine. This warning emerges following a hacking incident redirecting Russian website traffic to a provocative message.

Russia warned that the West’s cyberattacks against Russian infrastructure could lead to direct military confrontation.

In a statement, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that ‘The militarization of the information space by the West, and attempts to turn it into an arena of interstate confrontation, have greatly increased the threat of a direct military clash with unpredictable consequences.’

The statement added that Washington was ‘deliberately lowering the threshold for the combat use’ of cyberweapons.

The statement also attributes cyberattacks on Russian infrastructure and governmental institutions to the USA and Ukraine and warns: ‘Rest assured, Russia will not leave aggressive actions unanswered.’

The warning came after Russia’s housing ministry website was hacked over the weekend and its traffic redirected to a ‘Glory to Ukraine’ sign.