WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump on Saturday accused The New York Times of “a virtual act of treason,” after it revealed the US is upgrading digital incursions into Russia’s electric power grid.

present and former government authorities have defined the classified deployment of American computer code inside Russia’s power grid as well as other targets, the Times reported.

The action is intended partially as a caution but also to leave the US poised to conduct cyber strikes in case of a major confrontation between the US and Russia, the newspaper claimed.

Trump tweeted that the accusations were “NOT TRUE,” calling the media “corrupt” and repeating accusations that journalists are “the enemy of the people.”

“Do you believe that the Failing New York Times just did a story stating that the United States is substantially increasing Cyber Attacks on Russia,” he wrote.

“This is a virtual act of Treason by a great paper so desperate for a story, any story, even if unhealthy for our Country.”

The Times report came after an investigation by US special counsel Robert Mueller of alleged hacking by Russia’s GRU intelligence agency and social media manipulation by Russia’s Internet Research Agency to assist Trump’s election campaign.

Mueller detailed a disturbing number of associates between the Trump campaign and Russia ahead of the 2016 poll.