London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

Russia's UK ambassador rejects coronavirus vaccine hacking allegations

Russia's UK ambassador rejects coronavirus vaccine hacking allegations

Russia's ambassador to the UK has rejected allegations that his country's intelligence services tried to steal coronavirus vaccine research.

"I don't believe in this story at all, there is no sense in it," Andrei Kelin told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show.

On Thursday, UK security services said hackers targeting vaccine developers "almost certainly" operated as "part of Russian intelligence services".

Mr Kelin also rejected suggestions that Russia had interfered in UK politics.

Earlier this week, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said Russians almost certainly sought to interfere in the 2019 UK election through illicitly-acquired documents.

The papers, which emerged online, detailed UK-US trade discussions and were used by Labour in its election campaign.

"I do not see any point in using this subject as a matter of interference," Mr Kelin said.

"We do not interfere at all. We do not see any point in interference because for us, whether it will be [the] Conservative Party or Labour's party at the head of this country, we will try to settle relations and to establish better relations than now."

The interview comes days before a report into allegations of wider Russian interference into UK democracy is due to be published by Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee.

On Thursday, UK, US and Canada security services said a hacking group called APT29 had targeted various organisations involved in Covid-19 vaccine development, with the likely intention of stealing information.

The UK's National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) said it was more than 95% certain that the group, also known as The Dukes or Cozy Bear, was part of Russian intelligence services.

Asked whether that was true, Mr Kelin did not directly answer, but said: "I learned about their existence from British media."

"In this world, to attribute any kind of computer hackers to any country, it is impossible," he said.

Mr Kelin went on to dismiss a suggestion that it would be an "advantage" for Russia to know about vaccines in development. He said Russian pharmaceutical company R-Pharm had already entered a partnership with AstraZeneca to manufacture the coronavirus vaccine being developed at the University of Oxford, should it prove effective.

Elsewhere in the interview, Mr Kelin said Russian officials studying the country's recent constitutional referendum discovered "several cyber-attacks" originating from UK territory.

Two weeks ago, Russia voted in favour of a wide-ranging set of constitutional changes, which included clauses banning same-sex marriage and making it possible for President Vladimir Putin to stay in power until 2036.

Mr Kelin stressed that Russia was not "accusing the United Kingdom as a state" of being involved in the cyber-attacks and did not give further details as to their nature.


'Some spy story'


Andrew Marr also asked Mr Kelin whether he had seen the recent BBC miniseries, The Salisbury Poisonings, which dramatised the poisoning of former spy and MI6 informant Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia.

"I saw part of them," he said, adding that it was "so dull" he could not watch the three-part series to the end.

The UK has accused two Russian military intelligence officers of being behind the poisonings but the ambassador indicated Moscow was keen to move on from the incident, saying: "We still do not understand why some spy story should disrupt these important business relations which will be very helpful to Britain... when it is exiting from the European Union.

"We are prepared to turn the page and we are prepared to do business with Britain."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×