[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 130 (Thursday, July 23, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E668-E669]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            RUSSIAN CYBER ATTACKS ON COVID RESEARCH CENTERS

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                          HON. RICHARD HUDSON

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 23, 2020

  Mr. HUDSON. Madam Speaker, I rise today to strongly condemn the 
recently reported Russian cyberattacks on United States, United Kingdom 
and Canadian COVID-19 research centers.
  As the world continues to battle the COVID-19 pandemic, Vladimir 
Putin's regime has once again lived up to its reputation for 
lawlessness and cynicism by targeting vaccine research and development 
organizations with ``the intention of stealing information and 
intellectual property relating to the development and testing of COVID-
19 vaccines,'' as assessed by U.S., British and Canadian intelligence 
agencies.
  Sadly, neither this appalling cyberattack, nor the pitiful Kremlin 
denials which followed, are too surprising to those of us who watch 
Russia closely.
  As a Member of the U.S. Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of 
the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe--the OSCE PA--
and Chairman of the Committee on Political Affairs and Security, I 
regularly participate in difficult discussions with Russian political 
leaders about Moscow's geopolitical misconduct. The Kremlin's campaign 
across the OSCE space and beyond is aimed at destabilizing and 
undermining the international order by any means necessary, to include 
the invasion and occupation of OSCE participating States, the 
assassination of political opponents abroad, disinformation and more.
  On July 7, 2020, I communicated directly to the OSCE PA which 
included the presence of the Russian head of delegation how seriously 
the United States is taking reports of Russian monetary bounties to 
Taliban-linked insurgents for the killing of American and NATO soldiers 
in Afghanistan. The fact of Kremlin support to the Taliban had already 
surfaced in a hearing of the United States Helsinki Commission which I 
chaired on June 12, 2019, in open testimony by former Deputy Assistant 
Secretary of Defense for Russia Michael Carpenter.
  Madam Speaker, I will continue to work with colleagues here at home 
and across the Atlantic to ensure the Kremlin's bald-faced denials of 
its malign actions are countered, and that Vladimir Putin's regime 
faces the appropriate consequences for its actions. The

[[Page E669]]

OSCE Parliamentary Assembly has proven time and again its value as a 
forum to counter disinformation and foster cooperation to counter 
common threats. A result of these most recent reports, I intend to 
advocate for that body to prioritize results-oriented discussions on 
state-sponsored cyberattacks in our region in its upcoming work 
session.
  Madam Speaker, please join me in condemning the Kremlin's latest 
despicable actions.

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