MOSCOW (Sputnik) — On Friday, NBC News reported that the US presidential administration had directed the CIA to provide options for a cyberoperation that would "embarrass" the Kremlin to counter Moscow’s alleged interference in the US presidential election. US Vice President Joe Biden told the broadcaster Washington was "sending a message" to Russian President Vladimir Putin that the United States was ready to retaliate "at the time of our choosing" and with "the greatest impact."
"If the US 'clandestine' pending cyberwar on Russia was serious: 1) it would not have been announced 2) it would be the NSA [National Security Agency] and not the CIA," WikiLeaks said on its Twitter account.
13 October 2016, 12:02 GMT
In July, US media alleged that investigators blamed Russian-linked hackers for a breach of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) email system that revealed party officials colluded to support Hillary Clinton’s election campaign.
On Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said that US President Barack Obama would consider a "proportional" response to what the United States alleges are cyberattacks by Russia on US institutions related to the upcoming elections.
On Thursday, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called the White House’s claims in relation to Moscow over reports of hacking attacks "bewildering."
