Ukraine launches 'IT army,' takes aim at Russian cyberspace

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Illustration shows displayed CYBER SECURITY words and binary code
3D printed models of people working on computers and padlock are seen in front of a displayed CYBER SECURITY words and binary code in this picture illustration taken, February 1, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

LONDON, Feb 26 (Reuters) - Ukraine will create an "IT army" to fight against Russia's digital intrusions, Vice Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said on Saturday.

Ukraine has called its hacker underground to help protect critical infrastructure and conduct cyber spying missions against Russian troops, Reuters exclusively reported last week. read more

"We are creating an IT army," Fedorov wrote in a Tweet that linked to a channel on the Telegram messaging app which published a list of prominent Russian websites.

"There will be tasks for everyone. We continue to fight on the cyber front. The first task is on the channel for cyber specialists,"

The Telegram channel listed the websites of 31 major Russian businesses and state organisations including energy giant Gazprom (ELGZI.MM), Russia's second-largest oil producer Lukoil, three banks and a handful of government websites.

Kremlin.ru, the official website of the Kremlin and the office of Russian President Vladimir Putin, was taken offline on Saturday in an apparent distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack. read more

Malicious data-wiping software was discovered circulating in Ukraine last week, hitting hundreds of computers, according to researchers at the cybersecurity firm ESET. read more

Suspicion fell on Russia, which has repeatedly been accused of hacks against Ukraine and other countries. The victims included government agencies and a financial institution.

Britain and the United States said Russian military hackers were behind a spate of DDoS attacks last week that briefly knocked Ukrainian banking and government websites offline before the Russian invasion. read more

Russia has denied the allegations.

Reporting by James Pearson; Editing by Cynthia Osterman

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Thomson Reuters

Reports on hacks, leaks and digital espionage in Europe. Ten years at Reuters with previous postings in Hanoi as Bureau Chief and Seoul as Korea Correspondent. Author of 'North Korea Confidential', a book about daily life in North Korea. Contact: 447927347451

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