Ukraine: "Russia Behind Cyberattacks... Hybrid Warfare Continues"

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Ukraine has recently accused Russia of being behind the large-scale cyberattacks on its government websites. As concerns grow over a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine in February, military tensions between the two sides are expected to intensify.

According to foreign media including the AP on the 16th (local time), Ukraine's Ministry of Digital Transformation issued a statement saying, "All evidence so far shows that Russia is behind the cyberattacks targeting Ukraine," and accused Russia of "continuing hybrid warfare and actively building influence in cyberspace." Hybrid warfare refers to conflicts conducted through various means including conventional firepower, irregular warfare, psychological operations, and cyber warfare.

Earlier, between the night of the 13th and the early morning of the 14th, about 70 government websites including those of the Cabinet, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Energy, Ministry of Finance, and national emergency services were temporarily paralyzed due to large-scale hacking. The Ukrainian government believes the attack was carried out by international hackers under the direction of the Russian intelligence agency.

Serhii Demydaiov, Deputy Secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, also mentioned Russia’s involvement. In an interview with major foreign media, he stated, "We tentatively believe the hacker group 'UNC1151' is involved in this attack. This group is a cyber espionage organization linked to the Belarusian intelligence agency and also connected to the Russian intelligence agency," adding, "The malware used in this hacking showed characteristics very similar to those of the hacker group 'ATP-29,' which is associated with the Russian intelligence agency."

Russia strongly denies involvement in the cyberattacks against Ukraine. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told CNN in an interview, "Russia has nothing to do with the recent cyberattacks on Ukraine," and countered, "The Ukrainian government blames Russia for all domestic issues including bad weather."

This cyberattack occurred amid rising local tensions fueled by rumors that Russia would invade Ukraine in February. Ukraine previously experienced large-scale power outages suspected to be caused by cyberattacks in 2015 and 2016, and the Ukrainian government at that time also pointed to Russia as the culprit behind those attacks.