The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
Russia denies meddling in Scottish referendum
Russia’s ambassador to the UK has dismissed claims his country’s intelligence services tried to interfere in the 2014 independence referendum.
Andrey Kelin said Moscow’s only interest in Scotland was business and trade.
The comments came after it was claimed the Kremlin intervened in Scottish politics and the Brexit vote in a bid to destabilise the UK.
The claims are believed to form part of the longawaited House of Commons report on the threats posed by Russia to UK democracy.
Presented with the reports on the BBC Andrew Marr show, Mr Kelin said: “Our interest in Scotland is only one: we are open for business.”
The comment comes just days after Britain, Canada and the US claimed that a group of hackers, known as the Dukes or Cozy Bear
– with links to Russian intelligence – had targeted Covid-19 vaccine research bodies.
“I don’t believe in this story at all,” Mr Kelin said. “There is no sense in it.” Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said the UK will make sure the world knows the nature of the “reprehensible behaviour” Russia is engaged in.
He told Sky News’ Sophy Ridge programme: “We’re absolutely confident that the Russian intelligence agencies were engaged in a cyber attack on research and development efforts, and organisations in this country and internationally, with a view either to sabotage or to profit from the R&D that was taking place.
“And I think the point is, first of all, we’ve seen this as part of a wider systematic approach to cyber taken by Russia.”
He added: “Now you will see us holding Russia to account and making sure that the world knows the nature of the reprehensible behaviour that they’re engaged in.”