Russian intelligence officers have been accused of launching cyberattacks on a range of international institutions, including global chemical weapons watchdog investigating the Salisbury novichok attack.

Officials in the Netherlands, where the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) is based, said the Russian GRU used two different methods to attempt to carry out cyberattacks on several targets – known as close access and spear phishing.

Dutch authorities said four GRU officers parked a car carrying specialist hacking equipment including laptops, wifi and batteries outside the headquarters of the OPCW in The Hague. Then they attempted close access attack.

However, the arrests in April have a trail stretching back several years and possibly much further.

Here is a timeline of events in the lead-up to the latest allegations against the GRU:

2014

17 July: Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 is downed by a Russian missile system in Ukraine. Data from laptops of men arrested in the Netherlands in April 2018 show they travelled to Malaysia during the investigation into the crash.

2015

July and August: Multiple email accounts belonging to a small UK-based TV station are accessed and content stolen. The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) subsequently declares with “high confidence that the GRU was almost certainly responsible”.

2016

June and July: The Democratic National Committee (DNC) is hacked and documents subsequently published online. Again, the NSCS says it has high confidence the Russian intelligence services were responsible.

Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Show all 23 1 /23 Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Russian passports belonging to (top row) Oleg Sotnikov (left), Aleksei Morenets, (bottom row) Evgenii Serebriakov (left) and Alexey Minin, who have been named as the four GRU officers who tried to hack the global chemical weapons watchdog which is investigating the Salisbury nerve agent attack PA Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot On April 13 the officers parked a car carrying specialist hacking equipment outside the headquarters of the OPCW in The Hague Dutch Ministry of Defence/PA Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Specialist equipment intended for the alleged hacking of WiFi networks of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). Russia's military intelligence service has been accused of trying to hack the global chemical weapons watchdog which is investigating the Salisbury nerve agent attack PA Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot The Dutch counter-terrorism officers intervened to disrupt the operation and the four GRU officers were ordered to leave the country Dutch Ministry of Defence/PA Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Mobile phones and a camera recovered from four GRU officers who were alleged to have hacked the WiFi networks of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) PA Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot The four Russians arrived on diplomatic passports Netherlands Defence Ministry Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Alexey Minin, who has been named as one of the four GRU officers who tried to hack the global chemical weapons watchdog which is investigating the Salisbury nerve agent attack PA Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot A car carrying hacking equipment used by GRU officers, travelling on official Russian passports, parked near the headquarters of the OPCW in The Hague Dutch Ministry of Defence/PA Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Oleg Sotnikov, who has been named as one of the four GRU officers PA Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Hacking equipment belonging to four Russian officers Dutch Ministry of Defence/AP Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Evgenii Serebriakov, who has been named as one of the four GRU officers PA Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Equipment found in possession of four Russian citizens Reuters Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Photos of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and its surroundings taken on the 11 April, found on the phone of GRU officer Alexey Minin Dutch Ministry of Defence/PA Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Equipment found in possession of four Russian citizens REUTERS Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Aleksei Morenets, who has been named as one of the four GRU officers PA Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Undated handout photo dated issued by the Dutch Ministry of Defence of a car carrying hacking equipment used by GRU officers, travelling on official Russian passports, parked near the headquarters of the OPCW in The Hague. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Issue date: Thursday October 4, 2018. On April 13 the officers parked a car carrying specialist hacking equipment outside the headquarters of the OPCW in The Hague. At that point the Dutch counter-terrorism officers intervened to disrupt the operation and the four GRU officers were ordered to leave the country. See PA story POLITICS Russia. Photo credit should read: Dutch Ministry of Defence/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder. Dutch Ministry of Defence Dutch Ministry of Defence/PA Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot A combo of a taxi bill and a map, with a ride from a street next to the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, GRU, to Sheremyetevo airport in Moscow, found in possession of one of four GRU officers AP Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Yevgeny Serebryakov, an alleged Russian agent AFP/Getty Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Dutch security services say they have foiled an attempted cyber attack targeting the international chemical weapons watchdog, during its investigations into the Salisbury attack. Netherlands Defence Ministry Netherlands Defence Ministry Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Dutch security services say they have foiled an attempted cyber attack targeting the international chemical weapons watchdog, during its investigations into the Salisbury attack. Netherlands Defence Ministry Netherlands Defence Ministry Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Dutch security services say they have foiled an attempted cyber attack targeting the international chemical weapons watchdog, during its investigations into the Salisbury attack. Netherlands Defence Ministry Netherlands Defence Ministry Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Dutch security services say they have foiled an attempted cyber attack targeting the international chemical weapons watchdog, during its investigations into the Salisbury attack. Netherlands Defence Ministry Netherlands Defence Ministry Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Dutch security services say they have foiled an attempted cyber attack targeting the international chemical weapons watchdog, during its investigations into the Salisbury attack. Netherlands Defence Ministry Netherlands Defence Ministry

2017

June: A cyberattack targets the Ukrainian financial, energy and government sectors but spreads further, affecting other European and Russian businesses. NCSC says with high confidence that the GRU was almost certainly responsible.

August: Confidential medical files relating to a number of international athletes are released. The World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) stated publicly that this data came from a hack of its Anti-Doping Administration and Management system. The NCSC again states that GRU was almost certainly behind the attack.

24 October: BadRabbit ransomware – a type of malware (malicious software) that prevents users from accessing their system or personal files and demands ransom payment in order to regain access – causes disruption. The metro in Ukraine’s capital Kiev is affected, along with the airport in Odessa. Russia’s central bank and two Russian media outlets are also hit. Russia again accused by the NCSC of being behind the attack.

October: Malware infected thousands of home and small business routers and network devices worldwide. The infection potentially allowed attackers to control infected devices, render them inoperable and intercept or block network traffic, the UK government says.

2018

4 March: Former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, discovered unconscious on a bench in the Wiltshire city of Salisbury. The finger of blame is quickly pointed at the Russian security services.

Later in March: GRU carries out unsuccessful “spearfishing” attack on the Foreign Office, according to UK government.

Early April: Computers at the Ministry of Defence laboratory at Porton Down, which was carrying out tests linked to the Skripal poisoning, are targeted.

7 April: More than 40 people killed in suspected chemical weapons attack on Douma. Syrian government denies ever using chemical weapons while its ally Russia claims to have evidence the incident was staged with the help of the UK.

10 April: Four GRU officers travelling on official Russian passports enter the Netherlands.

Russia cyber attacks: UK ambassador to the Netherlands praises Dutch intelligence services

13 April: Four Russian men found with specialist equipment near the OPCW headquarters are arrested. The OPCW had been investigating both the novichok poisoning of Mr Skripal his daughter and analysing the chemical weapons attack in Douma.

5 September: Theresa May names two Russian nationals suspected of travelling to Salisbury to carry out the poisoning as Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov.