Russian state intelligence is hacking international research centres that are racing to develop a Covid-19 vaccine, the UK, the US, and Canadian governments said.

It is unclear whether research facilities have been damaged or if the vaccine programmes have been set back as a result of the hacks, but officials warned that the cyberattacks are ongoing.

In a dramatic statement on Thursday, Britain’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) said vaccine and therapeutic sectors in multiple countries had been targeted by a group known as APT29, which it said was “almost certainly” part of Russian state intelligence. Security agencies in the US and Canada later issued their own statements backing up the findings.

“It is completely unacceptable that the Russian intelligence services are targeting those working to combat the coronavirus pandemic,” British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said, adding, “While others pursue their selfish interests with reckless behaviour, the UK and its allies are getting on with the hard work of finding a vaccine and protecting global health.”

The intelligence bombshell came at a delicate time in geopolitics with a combative US election looming in November and the pandemic plunging the world economy into recession. Coronavirus has launched a global race for a vaccine, in which researchers in the UK have made progress recently.

Back in Moscow, Vladimir Putin’s popularity is a record low and the Russian leader has taken steps to ensure he can remain in power until 2036. Russia has repeatedly dismissed claims it meddles in elections despite repeated allegations of interference.