Universities, public sector organisations and international charities were also targeted by the FSB’s Centre 18, also known in intelligence circles as Iron Frontier and Star Blizzard.

The United States and Britain announced punitive measures against two Russian hackers on Thursday as they exposed a Kremlin-backed cyber conspiracy that targeted London's democracy.

The British and U.S. governments imposed sanctions on two Russian hackers on Thursday for what Britain's foreign office said was a sustained but failed attempt to interfere in politics by Russian cyber spies.

The Justice Department accused Russia-based hackers of targeting U.S. intelligence officials as part of an international spear phishing campaign.

British Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden asserted Thursday that Russia has attacked Britain with years of sustained cyber operations targeting democratic processes.

U.K. government officials claim that Russia's intelligence services engaged in a cyberespionage campaign targeting prominent British politicians and civil servants.

Russia has repeatedly denied claims it is involved in such activities. Foreign Secretary David Cameron said the group's actions were "completely unacceptable". "Despite their repeated efforts, they have failed.

U.S. authorities have indicted two hackers linked to Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) for allegedly carrying out a years-long cyber espionage campaign targeting government officials. The Department of Justice alleged on Thursday that Ruslan Aleksandrovich Peretyatko,

Also, the Department of Justice unsealed an indictment against two Russian hackers, Andrey Stanislavovich Korinets and Ruslan Aleksandrovich Peretyatko, in connection with what the State Department called "a criminal hacking conspiracy that targeted U.