Kremlin accuses US military for cyber attack in Russia during midterm elections

The Kremlin spokesman says reports that the U.S. military carried out a cyber attack in Russia ahead of the U.S. midterm elections prove that the country needs to create its own, self-controlled segment of the internet. Russia's parliament this month passed the first reading of a bill that proposes all internet traffic be routed through servers in Russia. Opponents fear the measure would lead to widespread censorship.

Dmitry Peskov was reacting on Wednesday to a recent report in The Washington Post that quoted unnamed U.S. officials as saying that the U.S. military remotely blocked internet access to a Russian "troll factory" ahead of the 2018 midterm elections. Several of the troll farm's employees have been indicted in the United States.