According to the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Ukraine, several government websites are currently victims of a “Massive cyberattack”. As tensions with Russia escalate, Josep Borrell, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, precise that it is easy “to imagine who is behind these attacks”.
100,000 soldiers at the gates of Ukraine
The websites of the government cabinet, security and defense councils and the ministry of education are among the sites affected. The spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Ukraine assures that “Specialists are working to restore the functioning of computer systems, and the services specializing in cybercrime have opened an investigation”. The European Commission has called an emergency meeting to respond to these attacks.
REvil hackers were arrested by the FSB on the orders of the United States
Attacks most likely linked to the escalation of tensions in the region. 100,000 Russian soldiers are currently gathered at the borders of Ukraine. According to several Western intelligence agencies, a total invasion could be imminent. Moreover, the Russian strategy does not change. In 2014, it was already a military intervention in Ukraine since Russia occupied Crimea and provided military support to separatists in the east of the country.
Always the same strategy for Russia
This is also not the first time that Russia has launched cyberattacks before carrying out a ground invasion. It was the case during the war in Georgia in 2008. Weeks before Russian troops entered the country, to take control of two breakaway regions it still holds today, Abkhazia and South Ossetia, several cyberattacks had made it possible to weaken government infrastructure.
Just before Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014, similar attacks also took place. The idea is then to sow confusion, but also to deactivate essential services. It is therefore natural that all eyes are on Moscow. Ukraine believes that if it is “too early to draw conclusions, there is a long record of Russian aggression against Ukraine”. So yes, this time again, that is most likely Russia’s intention.
Russia also has a sad record. According to Microsoft, the country is the source of 58% of state hacks worldwide. As part of the attacks this week against Ukrainian government sites, a message was published in three languages : Ukrainian, Polish and Russian. They said this: “Ukrainian! All your personal data has been uploaded to the public network. All information about you has become public, be afraid and expect the worst”.