Georgia Accused Russia of Vast Cyber-Attack on Government Sites

A vast cyberattack on government and commercial sites took place in Georgia, in October 2019. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the country, it was planned by the General Directorate of the RF Armed Forces General Staff. On Thursday, February 20 the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia accused Russia of involvement in organizing and conducting a vast cyber-attack on Georgian government and commercial sites in October 2019. “On October 28, 2019, a vast cyber-attack was carried out in Georgia on websites, servers and other operating systems of the Presidential Administration of Georgia, courts, various municipal assemblies, state and commercial institutions and media,” the Georgian Foreign Ministry website informed. According to the investigation conducted by the Georgian side and the information collected as a result of cooperation with partners, this cyber-attack was planned and carried out by the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, the agency said. "Sovereignty violation " According to the Georgian Foreign Ministry, the purpose of the cyberattack was "to undermine the national security of Georgia, to damage the Georgian population, to interfere with the functioning of state bodies and various organizations." Russia's actions in Tbilisi were regarded as sovereignty violation. "Georgia condemns this cyberattack which contradicts the principles and norms of international law and is another violation of the sovereignty of Georgia; it is directed against the European and Euro-Atlantic integration of the country and its democratic development," the statement said. The Georgian Foreign Ministry also called on the international community to respond to the incident. Russia denied accusations Russia has nothing to do with cyber-attacks on Georgian government websites, Russian Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko said on February 20. "Russia has nothing to do with this. We have not intervened anywhere, we are not going to intervene," Rudenko said, answering the Interfax question.