Russia increasingly targeting Kyiv’s allies in cyberspace

Russia’s cyberwar on Ukraine has largely failed and Moscow is increasingly targeting Kyiv’s European allies, according to US and French analysts.

French defence firm Thales said in a report on March 28 that Russia was hitting Poland and Nordic and Baltic countries with an arsenal of cyberweapons aiming to sow divisions and promote anti-war messages.

“These groups of independent, civilian hacktivists have emerged as a new component in the conflict. They can be assimilated into a cybercriminal group with specific political objectives and interests, acting out of conviction, yet not directly sponsored by any government. Members of such groups have a broad array of origins, technical skills and backgrounds,” Thales said in a statement.

About 60 per cent of all cyberattacks reported worldwide were conducted by Russian hackers, the report said.

Microsoft said in a threat assessment earlier this month that Russian actors had launched attacks in at least 17 European countries in the first six weeks of this year.

Russia’s assault on Ukraine began on February 24 last year, but it has not been able to score a decisive victory on the battlefield over its much smaller neighbour.