MOSCOW, July 20. /TASS/. Bogus rumors churned out by Western media that Russian hackers had tried to steal information about a novel coronavirus vaccine are baseless and politically motivated, Russian Special Presidential Envoy for International Cybersecurity Cooperation Andrei Krutskikh said in an interview with the International Affairs magazine published on Monday.

"Obviously, those fake news reports are baseless and politically motivated. Sadly, our American partners are not the only ones joining the incitement bandwagon. While the US and the UK perform their solos, some states took on the ungrateful role of extras in someone else’s game: the voices of Georgia, the Czech Republic, and the Netherlands formed a real chorus. Who else will get to compose the sheet music for this phony tune?" Krutskikh mused.

The diplomat pointed out that "disinformation campaigns, especially in the sphere of healthcare, are held to manipulate public opinion." "We find it suitable to mention that in accordance with the 2015 report by the Group of Governmental Experts (GGE) and the UN General Assembly Resolution № 70/237 that approved its recommendations, any accusations of organizing and committing crimes against states must be justified," he said.

He added that the coronavirus pandemic had highlighted the risks and consequences of harmful activity aimed to find vulnerabilities during a period when society goes through enormous difficulties.

The Russian diplomat stressed that Russia supports the stance of other countries on the need to protect cyber infrastructure in the sphere of healthcare. Russia will work in this area within UN negotiation platforms on international information security, within the Open-Ended Working Group (OEWG) and the Group of Governmental Experts (GGE).