National Security Council spokesman John Kirby speaks during a press briefing at the White House, in Washington, Thursday, April 6, 2023. The White House says it has been in touch with affected allies and partners at “very high levels†following the leak of sensitive U.S. intelligence about Russia’s war with Ukraine. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Patrick Semansky
WASHINGTON – The White House says it has been in touch with affected allies and partners at “very high levels” following the leak of sensitive U.S. intelligence about Russia’s war with Ukraine.
That likely includes Canada: the leaked documents describe claims, which The Canadian Press has not independently verified, by Russian-backed hackers that they successfully accessed the country’s natural gas infrastructure.
National Security Council spokesman John Kirby says the leak has been referred for criminal investigation, but can’t say if it has been fully contained.
The documents, which appear altered in spots, include sensitive U.S. assessments of the ongoing war in Ukraine – as well as a warning about the risk of a cyberattack north of the border.
The report doesn’t name a specific energy company, but says hackers were instructed by a Russian intelligence officer to maintain access to the computer network and “wait for further instruction.”
Kirby says both the Department of Defense and the Justice Department are running separate investigations into both the national security implications and determining who is responsible.
“In order to protect this country every day the way we do, one of the things we have to protect is information,” Kirby said.
“We will keep relevant allies and partners as informed as we can” going forward, he added.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 10, 2023.
