The 6 officers were involved in a 2017 global malware attack that infected the computers of several private US entities, including a hospital system.
The United States and Russia's relation has hit rock bottom after US imposed strict economic sanctions on Russia following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine on February 24 and inflicting a full fledged war on the country which has now entered day 63.
Amid the growing tensions, on Tuesday, the United States offered a reward of up to USD 10 million or more than Rs 76 crore for information leading to the identification or location of six people it described as Russian military intelligence officers who had conducted cyber attacks affecting critical US infrastructure.
Read | Ukraine scrambles to contain new cyber threat after 'NotPetya' attack
These Russian military intelligence officers had allegedly conducted malicious activities against the United States, the Department of State said in a press release on Tuesday. The six officers work in a cyber-focused unit of Russia's Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) and were involved in a 2017 global malware attack that infected the computers of several private US entities, including a hospital system, the US State Department said.
The six persons of interest are Yuriy Sergeyevich Andrienko, Sergey Vladimirovich Detistov, Pavel Valeryevich Frolov, Anatoliy Sergeyevich Kovalev, Artem Valeryevich Ochichenko and Petr Nikolayevich Pliskin, the release added.
The 2017 NotPetya cyber attack crippled parts of Ukraine's infrastructure and damaged computers in countries across the globe including France, Germany, Italy and the United States, causing billions of dollars in estimated damage. Russia denies any involvement in the incident.
NotPetya cyber attack
In 2017, NotPetya infiltrated Ukraine and began to spread, its footprint grew so far and so quickly that it likely shocked its creators.
A former Homeland Security cybersecurity expert, Tom Bossert, stated that the damage from this cyber attack totaled USD 10 billion.
Estimates suggested USD 870 million loss to pharmaceutical giant Merck and USD 188 million to maker of Cadbury chocolate Monde.
Besides, the losses include USD 188 million and USD 400 million to FedEx's European subsidiary TNT Express.
(With Reuters Inputs)
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