Russia interference began eight months before 2016 election, grand jury claims

It was July 2016 when presidential candidate Donald Trump, in a blustering speech, called on Russian hackers to trace emails from his Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton.

“Russia, if you’re listening, I hope you’re able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing,” Mr Trump said.

Moscow’s Main Intelligence Directorate appeared to heed the call, attacking Mrs Clinton’s personal office and hitting more than 70 other Clinton campaign accounts.

That is according to a grand jury indictment charging 12 Russian military intelligence officers with hacking into the Clinton campaign and the Democratic Party as part of a sweeping conspiracy by the Kremlin to meddle in the 2016 US election.

What does the indictment say? The grand jury said that July 27, 2016 was the first time Mrs

The grand jury says the hacking of the Hillary Clinton campaign began on March 10, 2016

Clinton’s personal office was targeted. But the attempt to penetrate the Democratic candidate’s campaign began on March 10 of that year.

It hit a significant success on March 19 when the Russian intelligence officers busted open the email account of John Podesta, Mrs Clinton’s campaign chairman.

The Russians “phished” intensively and repetitively.

Throughout at least March and April there were repeated efforts to break into about 120 Democratic National Committee, Clinton and left-leaning activists’ accounts across the country.

In July, on the very evening of Mr Trump’s speech, Russian hackers brought Mrs Clinton’s personal office into their scope.

The indictment represents special counsel Robert Mueller’s first charges against Russian government officials for interfering in American politics, an effort US intelligence agencies say was aimed at helping the Trump campaign and harming his Democratic opponent.

The case follows a separate indictment that accused Russians of using social media to sow discord among American voters.