White House blames Russian spy agency SVR for SolarWinds hack: statement

FILE PHOTO: The SolarWinds logo is seen outside its headquarters in Austin, Texas, U.S., December 18, 2020. REUTERS/Sergio Flores/File Photo/File Photo

(Reuters) -The White House said in a statement on Thursday that Russia's foreign intelligence service, known as the SVR, was responsible for the SolarWinds hack, which led to the compromise of nine federal agencies and hundreds of private sector companies.

Senior U.S. government officials had already said the Russian government was responsible for the sprawling cyber attack, but Thursday's announcement offers the first formal statement pinning the operation on a specific agency.