Kremlin spokesman denies Russia prepares cyberattacks against US companies

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - Russia does not plan cyberattacks against US companies, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday at a news conference in Moscow.

Peskov was responding to remarks by US President Joe Biden about possible cyberattacks by Russia to retaliate American sanctions and said: "The Russian Federation, unlike many Western countries, including the United States, does not engage in banditry at the state level."

Peskov refrained from comments about the course of Russia-Ukraine peace talks because of fears it would harm the process, which is not proceeding at a pace that favors Moscow.

"We are convinced that at the moment making them public can only damage the negotiation process, which is already going much slower and less meaningful than we would like," he said.

Regarding the idea by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy voting on Russia's proposals, Peskov said, "Ukraine is a sovereign state, and there can and should be some internal procedures."

Russia's war against Ukraine, which began Feb. 24, has drawn international condemnation, led to financial sanctions on Moscow and spurred an exodus of global firms from Russia.

At least 925 civilians have been killed during the war in Ukraine and nearly 1,500 others have been injured, according to the UN's tally.

The international body warns, however, that the true toll is "considerably higher."

Over 3.5 million people have so far fled Ukraine amid Russian attacks, according to the UN refugee agency.