Russia�s ambassador to Britain has rejected allegations that his country�s intelligence services sought to steal information about a coronavirus vaccine.

Andrei Kelin said in a BBC interview broadcast Sunday that there was �no sense� in the allegations made last week by the United States, Britain and Canada.

�I don�t believe in this story at all, there is no sense in it,� he said when asked about the allegations. �I learned about their (the hackers) existence from British media. In this world, to attribute any kind of computer hackers to any country, it is impossible.�

Intelligence agencies in the U.S., Britain and Canada on Thursday accused the hacking group APT29 � also known as Cozy Bear and believed to be part of Russian intelligence � of using malicious software to attack academic and pharmaceutical research institutions involved in COVID-19 vaccine development. It was unclear whether any useful information was stolen.

British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab also said that �Russian actors� had tried to interfere in last year�s general election by �amplifying� stolen government papers online.

Kelin said in the interview that his country had no interest in interfering in British domestic politics.

�I do not see any point in using this subject as a matter of interference,� he said. �We do not interfere at all. We do not see any point in interference because for us, whether it will be (the) Conservative Party or Labour�s party at the head of this country, we will try to settle relations and to establish better relations than now.�

Raab said Sunday that Britain will work with its allies to call Russia out on its �reprehensible behavior� and make sure research organizations know �so that they can better defend against it.�

The allegations came days before the British parliament�s Intelligence and Security Committee prepares to release a long-awaited report on Russian interference in British politics.

(AP)