Kremlin calls accusations over attacks on refrigeration systems in Europe “absurd”

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on November 5 called “absurd” the accusations about an alleged role of pro-Russian hackers in the cyberattacks on refrigeration systems in Europe, according to a news agency dispatch published by Diario Siglo XXI citing the Russian agency Interfax. Peskov added that there are no arguments or evidence to support them and that they are unfounded accusations against his country.

The dispatch recalls that the attacks affected dozens of supermarkets in Belgium, Luxembourg and Sweden on the night from Sunday to Monday, and that in mid-October about 150 supermarkets were affected in France. The French Blood Service (EFS) confirmed on Wednesday an attack on the system that controls its refrigerated rooms, which altered their temperature without affecting blood products, according to the same source.

The European Commission said on Tuesday that the attacks are not isolated incidents, but declined to say who is behind them or to link them to Russia, and said national authorities should investigate, according to the dispatch.

No government or body has publicly attributed the attacks to a specific actor on the pages we have been able to open, and the dispatch does not say who made the accusations the Kremlin rejects.

Developing story: we have only been able to open one news agency dispatch; a second independent source or the official Kremlin transcript is still needed, as is knowing who made the accusations Peskov is responding to.