Ukraine victim of large-scale cyber attack

Several Ukrainian government websites are inaccessible due to a cyber attack. The attack was allegedly carried out by Russia and fits within the Russian invasion threat.

Several services of the Ukrainian government suffered a cyber attack today. Most are said to have recovered by now. Government websites including that of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were inaccessible. Instead, visitors were shown a threatening message urging them to be afraid and fear the worst. The text additionally claimed personal data was stolen but official sources deny that.

The ministries of Education, Sports, Energy, Agriculture, Veterans, Environment and Emergency Services were also affected, as was the state treasury. The damage was said to be only superficial, and no internal systems were affected.

Russian attack

According to Ukraine, initial information indicates that the attack is the work of Russia. This is not the first time Russian hackers have digitally attacked Ukraine. Moreover, the consequences have already been more painful. For example, in 2017, Ukrainian companies were the target of an attack with a variant of the Petya ransomware. In 2015, the Ukrainian electricity network was taken down with a cyber attack.

Therefore, this cyber attack in itself is not so dramatic, but it does fit into a more problematic context. More than 100,000 Russian troops are currently gathered on the Ukrainian border in what looks like preparations for an invasion. Diplomatic talks between NATO and Russia aimed at defusing the situation, moreover, do not seem to be bearing fruit.

Cyber War

In a nutshell, Russia says it feels threatened by NATO’s expansion toward its own territory. A possible entry of Ukraine into the military alliance is a thorn in Putin’s side, who absolutely wants to avoid it. The West does not want to offer any guarantees because NATO members believe that each country is sovereign to choose which treaties it joins.

Furthermore, Russia is rumbling and Putin is looking for a lightning rod. In that regard, the Russian president seems to have ambitions to restore Russia to its pre-Soviet Union geographic glory. In any case, Russia has not been high on the territorial sovereignty of its neighbor since it annexed Crimea in 2014.

Furthermore, it has been clear for years that Russia takes great pleasure in harassing its enemies in the digital world. Just a few years ago, NATO labeled cyber as a full-fledged operational domain alongside land, water and air. In that regard, this attack is a clear jab and a statement directed at Ukraine and its Western allies.