U.S. vice-president Joe Biden has threatened Russia with a cyber attack in retaliation for its alleged cyber strike on this year’s U.S. presidential race.

Russian President Vladimir Putin “will know it” when it happens, says VP Biden.

Fort Russ reports:

Washington is preparing measures in response to the actions of Russian hackers accused of hacking American politicians’ computers. This was stated by US Vice President Joe Biden today, who threatened that Russian President Vladimir Putin “will know it” when an attack happens.

Biden remarked that Washington will choose a time and place for a “response” which will have “the greatest impact.” “We are sending a message,” Biden said in an interview with NBC. During the interview, he accused Russia of hacking attacks on the computers of American politicians.

The US Vice President did not disclose the details of the impending operation, but did state that Russian leader Vladimir Putin “will know it when it happens.”

“It will be at the time of our choosing and under the circumstances that have the greatest impact,” Biden added. Answering whether the public would learn before hand about Washington’s response to Moscow’s supposed actions, the politician said: “I hope not.”

In addition, Biden expressed doubt that hacker attacks can fundamentally affect the US elections.

Also during the interview with NBC, Biden stated that the Obama Administration has asked the CIA to prepare a cyberwar against Russia in response to hacker attackers. However, WikiLeaks activists have questioned Washington’s intentions to wage a cyber war.

If the US “clandestine” pending cyberwar on Russia was serious: 1) it would not have been announced

2) it would be the NSA and not the CIA — WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) 15 October 2016

In these activists’ opinion, the US is only thinking up a “war” in order to ensure that Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton wins in the upcoming presidential elections in November 2016.

The first deputy chairman of the Russian Federation Council’s defense committee, Franz Klintsevich, agrees with this assessment. “It is clear that the Obama administration is playing for Clinton and such bluffs about preparations for an unprecedented cyber attack on Russia should mainly be considered elements of the pre-election struggle for the presidency,” Klintsevich stated.

The deputy added: “If the current US administration decides before leaving to really ‘slam the door,’ then the consequences of this step do not lend themselves to being predictable. Therefore, the best thing that the administration can do now is busy itself with packing its bags.”

In turn, the Russian president’s press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, stated that the US’ threat to commit cyber attacks are unprecedented and Moscow will take appropriate precautions.

“Such threats addressed to Moscow and the leadership of our state are unprecedented because this threat is being voiced at the level of the Vice President of the US. Of course, given such an aggressive and unpredictable line, we will have to take measures to defend our interests and meet their bluffs,” Peskov is quoted as saying.

He also remarked that Washington’s unpredictability is a danger to the whole world.

The head of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs, Leonid Slutsky, also commented on Joe Biden’s accusations against Moscow. “We now see that there is apparently no significant situation with something negative in it that Russia will not be blamed for….We can see that such things are pure slander, fabrications, and a tool for distorting Russia’s image in the world,” he said.

According to the Russian president’s advisor Yuri Ushakov, the US Vice President’s words should be met with a response. “This is already on the verge of plain rudeness, especially by referencing specific figures in the Russian leadership,” he remarked.

Previously, the White House accused Moscow of hacker attacks on the computer systems of American political organizations with the goal of influencing the outcome of the November elections in the US. According to the statements of the US Department of Defense and the head of US intelligence, the attacks on the National Committee of the Democratic Party and other politicians were initiated by “high-ranking Kremlin officials.”

In September, US national intelligence director James Clapper expressed with confidence his opinion that Russia has interfered in electoral processes in the United States since the 1960’s. In his opinion, Moscow is sowing doubts in the minds of American citizens as to the inviolability of their country’s electoral system.