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Russia resorts to cyberattacks on Ukraine’s energy system before conducting massive shelling

Russian cyber operations against power infrastructure have become reliable indicators of impending missile strikes, with digital attacks consistently preceding physical bombardments by 48 hours.
byBenjamin Looijen
05/12/2024
2 minute read
Illustrative image. Photo via Wikimedia.
Illustrative image. Photo via Wikimedia.
Russia resorts to cyberattacks on Ukraine’s energy system before conducting massive shelling

Russia conducts powerful cyberattacks on Ukraine’s energy sector ahead of massive shelling of the power grid, Deputy Energy Minister Roman Andarak said.

This pattern reveals how warfare evolves during the Russo-Ukrainian War. Cyber operations are combined with physical attacks and disinformation campaigns to maximize damage to critical infrastructure and civilian morale. The approach demonstrates how modern warfare increasingly integrates digital and kinetic attacks, with cyber operations used to weaken defenses and amplify the impact of conventional military strikes.

As it turns out, Russia is using cyberattacks as a ”shaping” component in the preparation of shelling Ukrainian critical and strategic infrastructure. As argued by Ukrainian officials, this is a recurring pattern in Russian offensive operations.

“Two days before the massive shelling of the energy sector, a powerful cyberattack is carried out on many energy sector facilities. Then we know that in one or two days there will be an attack,” the minister said.

The official also emphasized that the Russian Federation actively uses all methods of spreading disinformation aimed at creating panic among the population, uses information and psychological manipulations and propaganda about the state of the energy sector.

Therefore, Russian cyber warfare is conducted in conjunction with other military and informational approaches in countering Ukraine.

Cyber warfare and espionage is constantly evolving in the Russo-Ukrainian War. Earlier this year, Ukraine observed a shift in the focus of Russian hackers to everything that is directly related to the theater of war and supply chain attacks, with the aim of remaining invisible for as long as possible, maintaining a presence in Ukrainian systems that have a connection with war and state activities.

Russian hackers focused on attempts to destroy IT systems in the critical infrastructure sector, as well as obtaining databases and lists. In addition, they also were actively conducting campaigns against media and commercial organizations. Russian hackers attacked flaws, vulnerabilities in systems, and exploited easy opportunities.

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