Moscow, April 18 (RHC)-- Russia will provide strategic cooperation to the Venezuelan government to investigate several attacks against the National Energy Service (SEN), according to Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Oleg Syromoloto.

"Russia is providing its Venezuelan friends with all the necessary cooperation in response to the requests of the government of President Nicolas Maduro," said Syromolotov.  He reiterated that support for investigations will be given because the Venezuelan government has constantly said the attacks in March were cyber aggression against the SEN of the country.

Meanwhile, the Russian diplomat mentioned that the perpetrators of the attack against the SEN knew the vulnerabilities of the system.  "Of course the masterminds of the attack knew well the operative algorithms, the vulnerabilities of the equipment and the corresponding systems," he said.

Syromolotov said there was an attempt to disturb the control of the main electricity distribution stations in Venezuela at a distance, taking advantage of the fact that the equipment was Western-made.  "They and the instigators of sabotage are responsible for the deaths of people, including of those in hospitals which were left without electricity," Syromolotov stressed.

On March 7, Venezuela experienced its first attack against the SEN, thus generating a nation-wide blackout. Then, 18 days later, a new attack with rifles occurred on the electricity generation transformers of the Simon Bolivar Hydroelectric Plant, which is located in the Guri reservoir in the Bolivar state (south) of the country.

"Venezuela is living the first war of unconventional dimensions with attacks on public services to impose a regime change from the U.S.," Maduro had said, referring to what his government is calling cyber sabotage at the hydroelectric plant.