US-Russia Relations: Kremlin Says US Cyberattack On Power Grid Could Be Possible

The Russian government on Monday responded to a New York Times report, which said the U.S. is preparing for a cyberattack on Russian power grids.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told Reuters that "undoubtedly this information shows the hypothetical possibility… all signs of cyber war and military action against the Russian Federation."

The New York Times reported Saturday that there was "broad hesitation' within the U.S. intelligence and defense community to tell President Trump the details of American planned cyberattacks against Russia. Trump later lashed out at the Times for the report, calling it "a virtual act of treason by a once great paper."

The unnamed national security officials fear Trump would direct the government to not carry out the attacks or that he would share the information with foreign officials.

The U.S. has been stepping up its cyber-warfare efforts against foreign adversaries, launching cyber operations against a Russian troll factory seeking to influence the outcomes of the 2018 midterm congressional elections, the Washington Post reported.

Russian cyber operations targeted the 2016 U.S. presidential elections, prompting grave concerns within the U.S. intelligence community.

"Russia's intelligence services conducted cyber operations against targets associated with the 2016 U.S. Presidential election, including targets associated with both major U.S. political parties," a January 2017 U.S. intelligence report said.