Russia on Tuesday denied responsibility for the cyberattack that led to the ongoing Colonial Pipeline shutdown — which has caused panic buying and gas shortages in the southeastern US.
A spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin told reporters that the Kremlin rejected any idea it was behind the crisis, now in its fifth day.
“Russia didn’t have anything to do with hacking attacks that had taken place earlier,” Dmitry Peskov said during a conference call.
“We categorically don’t accept any accusations against us in this regard.”
On Monday, the FBI blamed a criminal gang of hackers known as “DarkSide” for launching ransomware against the Alpharetta, Ga.-based Colonial Pipeline Co. and crippling some of its computer systems on Friday.
Colonial Pipeline storage tanks in Woodbridge, New Jersey, on May 10, 2021. AP Photo/Ted ShaffreyThe syndicate’s members reportedly speak Russian and its malware is coded not to attack online networks connected to Russian-language keyboards.
A customer pumps gas at Costco, as a worker directs traffic, on Tuesday, May 11, 2021, in Charlotte, North Carolina amid the pipeline cyberattack. AP Photo/Chris CarlsonPresident Biden said Monday that he planned to confront Putin over the cyberattack at a meeting set for next month, saying that Russia has “some responsibility to deal with this.”
A station that ran out of gas displays an “Out of service” sign on the pump on May 11, 2021, in Atlanta, Georgia. AP Photo/Ben Margo“So far, there is no evidence, based on, from our intelligence people, that Russia is involved, although there is evidence that the actors, ransomware, is in Russia,” he said.
A Colonial Pipeline station in Smyrna, Georgia. The Colonial Pipeline delivers about 45% of the fuel consumed on the East Coast. AP Photo/Mike StewartWith Post wires
