At UN Security Council, Estonia, UK, U.S. Condemn Russian Cyberattack on Georgia

At the UN Security Council, on March 5, Estonia, the U.S. and the United Kingdom condemned the “extensive and disruptive cyberattacks on Georgia in October 2019.

As mentioned by the Estonian Mission to the UN, it was the first time cyberattacks were officially discussed as a separate issue at the UN Security Council.

Today at the Security Council, #Estonia together with 🇬🇧 & 🇺🇸 condemned the extensive and disruptive cyberattacks on Georgia in October 2019.

It was the first time cyberattacks were officially discussed as a separate issue at #UNSC.#EstoniaUNSC pic.twitter.com/lYUKxzbKuz

— Estonia in UN | #StandWithUkraine 🇺🇦 (@EstoniaUN) March 5, 2020

According to the press stakeout released by Estonia, the United Kingdom and the United States, and delivered by Sven Jürgenson, Estonian Representative to the UN, “in February the Georgian permanent Representative wrote the Security Council regarding a large-scale cyber-attack launched against the Georgian Government and media websites last October. Estonia, supported by the UK and the U.S. raised the issue in Any Other Business today.”

“We are clear that Russia’s military intelligence service – the GRU – conducted these cyber-attacks in an attempt to sow discord and disrupt lives of ordinary Georgian people,” the joint statement noted.

It further added that “these cyber-attacks are part of Russia’s long-running campaign of hostile and destabilizing activity against Georgia, and are part of a wider pattern of malign activity.” The stakeout stressed that these actions “clearly contradict Russia’s attempts to claim it as a responsible actor in cyberspace and demonstrate a continuing pattern of reckless GRU cyber operations against a number of countries.”

The joint statement by Estonia, UK and the U.S. stressed that “irresponsibility in cyber-space is detrimental to all of us,” stressing that “we together with the international community, will continue our efforts to uphold an international framework of responsible state behavior in cyberspace.”

“We thank our partners for their strong support to Georgia in condemning this brazen act against Georgia and its people,” tweeted Georgian Permanent Mission to the United Nations. 

Today at the #UNSC @EstoniaUN, @UKUN_NewYork and @USUN condemned the extensive and disruptive #cyberattacks on Georgia by Russian theGRU in October 2019.

We thank our partners for their strong support to #Georgia in condemning this brazen act against Georgia and its people! pic.twitter.com/IuqPK0NoLO

— GeorgiaUN (@GeorgiaUN) March 5, 2020

Belgian Permanent Mission to the UN also condemned Russian cyberattack against Georgia. It tweeted that the “international community must strengthen its cooperation in favor of a global, open, stable, peaceful & secure cyberspace with respect for human rights, fundamental freedoms and the rule of law. 

This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)