Thread by @haynesdeborah

EXCLUSIVE: @NCA_UK investigating suspected cyber attack on UK institute that counters Russian disinformation
Sky sources say its likely Russia's GRU hacked Institute for Statecraft possibly in response to UK calling it out on Salisbury
Russia denies claim
bit.ly/2XDUiH3

Security officials regard attack as significant because - if confirmed - it would mark 1st time Russia has done hack-and-leak operation in UK, a source said. GRU is suspected of deploying such a tactic against Democratic National Committee in US + against World Anti-Doping Agency

Chris Donnelly, a former @DefenceHQ civil servant who co-founded IfS, said he has little doubt who was behind the hack though he has no "forensic proof"
"Our assessment… is that this is the GRU," Mr Donnelly, told @SkyNews

Mr Donnelly said involvement of @NCA_UK in investigation into #IntegrityInitiative hack "demonstrates that the government clearly considers this to be a significant attack by a hostile foreign power against the UK".

President Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov "We've been saying numerous times [the] Russian state has nothing to do with any cyber attacks, to contrary we've been offering international cooperation to combat cyber-crime but unfortunately we met no reciprocity from our counterparts"

My TV piece on @NCA_UK investigation into suspected cyber attack on the Institute for Statecraft
Whitehall sources say it's likely Russia's GRU was behind the attack, possibly in response to being called out by UK over Salisbury
Russia denies the claim
bit.ly/2HjtZA9