United Kingdom's defence ministry investigating Russian hack targeting its army recruits

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The United Kingdom's defence ministry said on Tuesday (April 26) that it is probing a Russian hack that is targeting its army recruits.

According to a report published in the British newspaper Daily Mail, the main suspect of the cyberattack was "feared to have been a Russian agent."

''The incident is a very poor reflection on our own IT,'' said James Heappey, UK's minister of armed forces, said in response.

The country's defence ministry has "ordered an urgent review of our IT security as a consequence," he added.

Russian hackers illegally accessed the personal records of 124 army candidates as per the report.

''But it is thought hundreds more could have been at risk," the report stated.

Earlier, Heappey downplayed Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's warning about the real threat of World War III breaking out.

Lavrov said, "It is real, you can't underestimate it."

"Lavrov's trademark over the course of 15 years or so that he has been the Russian foreign secretary has been that sort of bravado. I don't think that right now there is an imminent threat of escalation," BBC reported Heappey as saying.

"What the West is doing to support its allies in Ukraine is very well-calibrated," he added.

Russia has accused NATO of providing military aid to Ukraine, which Heappey denied saying the alliance is only reinforcing its eastern flank.

"It suits the Kremlin's narrative to claim that they are somehow in a confrontation with NATO. They were saying that before the war even began, but that is nonsense and Lavrov knows it," Heappey said.

He believes that NATO should not underestimate the considerable risks of nuclear conflict.

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The UK, along with Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States is a part of the ''Five Eyes'' intelligence-sharing network.

Last week, it issued a warning that all countries supporting Ukraine will face powerful cyberattacks by Russia.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has called Moscow's attack on Ukraine a ''special military operation'' to disarm and ''denazify'' it.

(With inputs from agencies)