In this article, we will discuss a cyber attack that targeted Ukraine’s largest telecommunications company, resulting in millions of citizens losing phone and internet services that many rely on for alerts about potential Russian attacks. This recent attack is the latest to target Ukraine since the Russian invasion last year.
Main Facts
Kyivstar telecommunications company, which has 24.3 million mobile subscribers and 1.1 million home internet subscribers, announced that personal user data was not compromised. The company’s CEO confirmed that no specific timeline for service restoration has been established. Ukrainian authorities stated they are investigating the attack, and the Kyivstar CEO indicated that the attack is definitely a cyber attack and that the likelihood of Russian entities being involved is close to 100%. Data shows that communications for Kyivstar users dropped from nearly 100% on Tuesday night to less than 20%. The Russian Foreign Ministry did not respond to a request for comment.
Main Background
Ukraine has faced cyber attacks from Russia prior to its full-scale invasion in February. Russian government-backed cyber attacks on Ukraine increased in 2021 before the invasion, with targeting of Ukrainian users rising by 250% from 2020 to 2022, according to a report from Google’s Threat Analysis Group in February. Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Anton Demukhyn stated in an interview with Bloomberg in October that Russian cyber attacks have become more sophisticated, continuing to target the government, security entities, companies, and financial institutions. Government data indicated that Ukraine recorded 3,974 cyber incidents between January and September 2022 – before and during the invasion, according to Bloomberg.
Related News
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is currently in Washington to meet with President Joe Biden and other congressional leaders to discuss additional assistance for Ukraine amid the ongoing war with Russia. During his visit to Congress, Zelensky stated that he had a “friendly and sincere conversation” where he spoke to members about “the current military and economic situation in Ukraine, the importance of continued vital American support, and answered their questions.” Earlier this month, the White House announced it was facing a depletion of funds to continue supporting Ukraine, while Republicans are demanding additional funding for measures at the U.S.-Mexico border in exchange for passing more aid for Ukraine.
Leave a Reply