against Democratic Party members which resulted in the publication of private emails designed to destabilize the Hillary Clinton presidential campaign and undermine the US democratic process . Last week , President Obama decided to expel 35 suspected Russian spies and place sanctions on the GRU , which is thought to be linked to APT28 , as well as another Russian intelligence service : the FSB . However , France 's ambassador to the OSCE , Veronique Roger-Lacan , tried to play down the seriousness of the attack . “ Diplomats at the OSCE are warned that attempted spying , in whatever form , are part and parcel of this organization , ” she told AFP