Vladimir Putin Says Some 'Patriotic' Russians May Be Hackers: Report

Russian President Vladimir Putin denied that his government had any involvement in cyberattacks related to the 2016 American presidential campaign, though he said "patriotic" Russian hackers may decide to target people who criticize the country, according to the Washington Post. He attributed the American intelligence community's consensus that Russian agents intervene in the election as symptomatic of "Russo-phobic hysteria" and said that evidence they relied on could have been faked.

In a conversation with the heads of multiple international news agencies, Putin denied that hacks, like those those that targeted Hillary Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta and the Democratic National Committee, could have an effect on the decision of the voters. Perhaps his most colorful and intriguing comments came when he compared hackers to artists. (For more information on this and other political stories, subscribe to the White House Patch for daily newsletters and breaking news alerts.)

"Hackers are free people, just like artists who wake up in the morning in a good mood and start painting,” he said, according to the Post. “The hackers are the same. They would wake up, read about something going on in interstate relations and if they feel patriotic, they may try to contribute to the fight against those who speak badly about Russia.”

Read the full report at the Washington Post.

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