The official investigation into the downing of flight MH17 has been targeted by Russian-military sponsored cyber attacks, the Dutch defence minister has claimed.

Speaking at a press conference in Hague, Dutch Defence Minister Ank Bijleveld shockingly revealed four Russian intelligence agents from the military unit GRU allegedly attempted to infiltrate the ongoing investigation of the MH17 crash which resulted in the deaths of 298 passengers including 38 Australians.

He claimed the men, carrying diplomatic passports, allegedly attempted unauthorised access to investigation files. They were caught with surveillance equipment at a hotel located next to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) headquarters in the Netherlands in April.

They strategically placed themselves near the OPCW to intercept login details, officials revealed.

During the presentation, Major General Eichelsheim held up spying equipment allegedly used by the agents, including an antenna and a number of laptops.

According to the UK ambassador to the Netherlands, Peter Wilson, one of the laptops had already been used by the accused hackers in Brazil, Switzerland and Malaysia.

They included attempts to target Malaysia’s attorney general’s office and Malaysian police and hack another laptop belonging to the World Anti-Doping Agency, he said.

The group of men allegedly also sought to uncover information on the substance used in the chemical gas attack on Douma, Syria on April 7 and another unknown substance in the poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko, a former Russian spy convicted of spying for Britain.

Dutch defence minister Ms Bijleveld said the GRU’s hacking attempts were disrupted by authorities in April and the four Russian intelligence officers were immediately expelled from the Netherlands. 

Speaking on Thursday about Russia’s hacking attempts into the MH17 crash investigation, she said: “We have been aware of the interest of Russian intelligence services in this investigation and have taken appropriate measures.”

Russia on Thursday dismissed the accusations as “fantasies”.

British Prime Minister Theresa May and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte released a joint statement condemning the Russian military intelligence officers for the series of alleged global cybercrimes.

The two leaders said on Thursday they will “defend international institutions from those that seek do to them harm”.

Ms May and Ms Rutte said the attacks “demonstrate again the GRU’s disregard for the global values and rules that keep us all safe”.

Senior cabinet minister Mathias Cormann has warned Australia must be increasingly vigilant about cyber attacks following reports Russia hacked the investigation into MH17’s demise.

“We’ve got to be increasingly vigilant in relation to cyber attacks from any source, in particular in the context of the investigations in relation to the downing of MH17,” Senator Cormann told Sky News on Friday.

“We are very concerned about what’s being reported.”

Senator Cormann backed the approach of the UK and the Netherlands in calling out Russia’s behaviour.


”It’s obviously a serious attack on the integrity of the international order,” he said.

-With AAP