The United States has charged five Russian military officers for cyberattacks on civilian infrastructure in Ukraine before the Russian invasion. The GRU military intelligence agency members conducted a cyber campaign called WhisperGate, targeting civilian infrastructure and Ukrainian computer systems unrelated to defense. The FBI labeled a WhisperGate malware attack in January 2022 as the first shot of the war, aiming to cripple Ukraine’s government, financial systems, agriculture, emergency services, healthcare, and schools. The cyber campaign extended to the US and other NATO countries supporting Ukraine.
A Russian civilian, Amin Timovich Stigal, and the five indicted GRU members remain at large. Stigal was accused of conspiring to hack and destroy computer systems with WhisperGate. The State Department has offered a $60 million reward for information leading to their arrest. The WhisperGate malware masqueraded as ransomware but was designed to completely destroy target computers and data, leading to exfiltration of health records and defacement of websites.
The indicted GRU officers are part of a subset of unit 29155 of the Russian Main Intelligence Directorate known for deadly dirty tricks globally. The indictment was unsealed after the US accused Russia’s RT news outlet of election interference in 2024 and seized 32 internet domains linked to securing Russia’s preferred outcome in the presidential election.
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