The US presents charges against 12 Russians for cyber attacks during 2016 elections.

Tens of Russians were charged Friday with retaliating and leaking top Democrats' e-mails during the presidential election campaign 2016.

Major jury indictments against 12 suspected Russian intelligence officials were announced by Rod Rosenstein, the US deputy prosecutor general, at a press conference in Washington.

“Internet allows foreign opponents to attack America in new and unexpected ways”, Rosenstein said. complaining about what he called “Partisan war” in the US about Russia's ongoing investigation, Rosenstein said: “The Party for Election Intervention belongs to criminals performing election intervention”.

The charges were filed in Washington by Robert Mueller, the special lawyer who is investigating Russian intervention in elections and possible agreements with members of Donald Trump's campaign team.

They were notified just as Trump arrived at the Winter Castle to meet the Queen, and that he prepared to meet Vladimir Putin, president of Russia, on Monday. Rosenstein said he had informed Trump of the developments.

Rosenstein said those charged were GRU operatives, a Russian intelligence agency. He said they had “charged with several Americans via the internet”, including a campaign associate Trump.

Roger Stone, an old adviser at Trump, earlier admitted that he had exchanged messages with one of the people charged Friday, but had denied knowing his true identity.

Stone told Guardian on Friday that his correspondence with regard to retaliatory documents was good “based on its content, context and time” and “is not evidence for co-operation or non-co-operation”.