Hackers who penetrated the networks of American energy and nuclear companies in the past few weeks, worked for the Russian government, says one of the leading American newspapers. The Washington Post reported that anonymous sources in the US government confirmed that hackers were working for the Russian government. Sources told the publication that the motives of hackers are unclear, since the attacks did not affect the work of the affected companies. One federal official, however, reported that he considered the attack an "attempt to conduct reconnaissance" in order to identify points of penetration into the company's networks. "This is what all cybercriminals do," he said..

Attacks on commercial and administrative systems of companies were confirmed last week, when the Ministry of Energy reported that it helps companies protect themselves from intrusions. The Ministry of Internal Security and the FBI warned energy companies in late June that unidentified hackers are targeting nuclear, energy and critical infrastructure facilities. Authorities argued that public safety was never threatened. Reports of a hacker attack on US energy and nuclear companies organized by the Russian government were preceded by information that Russia had conducted a hacker campaign to intervene in the recent US presidential election.