U.S. Charges 5 Russian Military Officers in Connection with Ukraine Cyberattacks

On Thursday, the United States charged five Russian military officers for their alleged involvement in cyberattacks on civilian infrastructure in Ukraine, conducted just before Russia's invasion. The officers, members of Russia's GRU military intelligence agency, were indicted in Maryland for orchestrating a cyber campaign against Ukraine known as "WhisperGate," according to Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen.

At a press conference in Baltimore, Olsen described the WhisperGate campaign as targeting civilian infrastructure and Ukrainian computer systems unrelated to military or national defense. FBI special agent William DelBagno noted that the January 2022 WhisperGate malware attack could be considered "the first shot of the war," aiming to cripple Ukraine’s government and its critical infrastructure, including financial systems, agriculture, emergency services, healthcare, and schools.

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Olsen also revealed that the cyberattacks extended beyond Ukraine, targeting computer systems in the United States and other NATO countries supporting Ukraine. In June, a Russian civilian named Amin Timovich Stigal, 22, was indicted in Maryland for allegedly conspiring to hack into and destroy computer systems as part of the WhisperGate operation. Stigal, along with the five GRU members, remains at large, and the U.S. State Department has offered a combined reward of $60 million for information leading to their arrest.

The indictment accuses Stigal and the GRU officers of distributing WhisperGate malware to numerous Ukrainian government agency computer systems before the Russian invasion. The malware, according to the Justice Department, was designed to appear as ransomware but was actually a "cyberweapon" meant to completely destroy the targeted computers and erase data.

The Justice Department also disclosed that WhisperGate was used to exfiltrate patient health records and deface websites, posting messages such as: "Ukrainians! All information about you has become public, be afraid and expect the worst." In addition, the hacked data was offered for sale online.

US Attorney Erek Barron identified the indicted GRU officers as members of Unit 29155, a Russian Main Intelligence Directorate unit responsible for "attempted deadly dirty tricks around the world." The officers named in the indictment include Colonel Yuriy Denisov, commanding officer of cyber operations for Unit 29155, and four lieutenants: Vladislav Borovkov, Denis Denisenko, Dmitriy Goloshubov, and Nikolay Korchagin.

The indictment's unsealing occurred one day after the United States accused Russia’s state-funded news outlet RT of attempting to influence the 2024 US presidential election. Attorney General Merrick Garland also announced the seizure of 32 internet domains allegedly involved in a campaign to "secure Russia's preferred outcome." US officials have indicated that Russia's preferred outcome would involve a victory for Donald Trump in the November election.