Microsoft: Russian hackers responsible for hundreds of cyberattacks in Ukraine

Hackers from the Russian government have attempted hundreds of cyberattacks in Ukraine to support their military operations in the country, according to a new report by Microsoft.

The software company released a report on Wednesday that found at least six separate Russia-aligned nation-state actors launched more than 237 operations against Ukraine, starting from just before the invasion began on Feb. 24.

“The attacks have not only degraded the systems of institutions in Ukraine but have also sought to disrupt people’s access to reliable information and critical life services, and have attempted to shake confidence in the country’s leadership,” Tom Burt, Microsoft’s vice president of customer security and trust, said in a blog post.

Russia’s use of cyberattacks often accompanied “kinetic” military operations against services and institutions crucial for civilians, said the report. An example was how one hacking group launched cyber attacks against a major broadcasting company on Mar. 1, the same day the Russian military hit a Kyiv TV tower with a missile attack.

Researchers said they observed close to 40 “destructive” attacks that deleted files of their targets. 32% of these destructive attacks directly targeted Ukrainian government institutions at the national, regional and city levels, while over 40% were aimed at organizations and critical infrastructure sectors that could have negative second-order effects on the government, military, economy and civilians.

The Russian threat groups were preparing for conflict as early as Mar. 2021, targeting sources of information about Ukraine’s military partnerships with foreign nations and its supply chain.

Microsoft said that it had been working directly with Ukrainian government officials and cybersecurity organizations aligned with them to help fend off the Russian cyberattacks. They established a secure line of communication with key cyber officials in Ukraine in January after discovering wiper malware in more than a dozen of its networks.