Western agencies are sabotaging Russian companies because sanctions and military pressure have failed, Andrey Svintsov has claimed

US and UK intelligence services were behind this week's major cyberattack that disrupted operations at Aeroflot and other Russian companies earlier this week, a senior Russian lawmaker has claimed.

Andrey Svintsov, the deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee on Information Policy, has said the attack is part of a coordinated campaign by Western powers to damage the Russian economy after failing to achieve their objectives through military means and sanctions.

Aeroflot, Russia's largest airline, was forced to cancel or delay dozens of flights on July 28 after pro-Ukrainian hacker groups claimed to have crippled the airline's internal IT systems. The cyberattack also disrupted airport operations and affected other companies, including a nationwide pharmacy chain.

"These are not isolated hackers, but a planned action by American and British intelligence agencies," Svintsov told Russian outlet Abzats. He described the campaign as a "systematic effort that is being carried out against Russia," suggesting that it's a sign of desperation by the country's adversaries.

"This is a systematic approach by our Western enemies, who have failed to defeat Russia on the battlefield. They are moving to weaken the economic potential, since sanctions are not helping," Svintsov said. He warned that cyber sabotage could continue until Russia achieves victory in the Ukraine conflict.

In May, Defense Secretary John Healey said the UK would significantly increase cyber operations against Russia and China. He confirmed the creation of a new Cyber and Electromagnetic Command, adding that "the keyboard is now a weapon of war."

The Kremlin has urged Russian businesses to replace foreign-made software and hardware to reduce exposure to cyber threats. Last month, President Vladimir Putin instructed the government to accelerate import substitution.

READ MORE: Aeroflot cancels flights after alleged major hacking breach

Hacker groups Silent Crow and Cyberpartisans BY have claimed responsibility for Monday's attack on Aeroflot. They claim to have been inside the airline's corporate network for over a year, stealing more than 20 terabytes of data and destroying around 7,000 servers.

Communications regulator Roskomnadzor said the data leaks have not been confirmed. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has confirmed the cyberattack and opened a criminal case.

(RT.com)