Russian ambassador to Britain rejects Covid-19 vaccine hacking claims

Russia’s ambassador to the UK has rejected allegations that his country's intelligence services tried to steal coronavirus vaccine research.

“I don’t believe in this story at all, there is no sense in it,” Andrei Kelin said. However, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said it is “very clear Russia did this”, adding that it is important to call out this “pariah-type behaviour”.

Mr Kelin also rejected suggestions that Russia had interfered in UK politics.

Earlier this week, Mr Raab said Russians almost certainly sought to interfere in the 2019 UK election through illicitly-acquired documents.

The papers, which emerged online, detailed UK-US trade discussions and were used by Labour in its election campaign.