KYIV (BLOOMBERG) - A top Ukrainian cyber-security official said Wednesday (March 23) that Russian hackers are attacking logistical lines in the war-torn country, including those delivering food and humanitarian support.
Mr Victor Zhora, deputy chief of Ukraine's information protection service, said the cyber attacks are mostly linked to Russia's ground and air campaign. He declined to provide specifics on the attacks, citing security concerns.
Mr Zhora, who has provided regular updates on the role of cyber attacks in the conflict, said Russian hackers have targeted government and private-sector organisations, including Internet-service providers and energy companies.
The attacks have mostly been unsuccessful or caused minor disruptions, he said. He also said that despite efforts by Russia to knock out Ukrainian communication networks, most areas have maintained cellular coverage, or restored outages quickly.
Most of Ukraine's telecommunications infrastructure is privately owned, and he described efforts to keep the networks functioning as "very close to heroism".
"This is one of the factors that probably explains the success of Ukrainian resistance," he said.
Mr Zhora described assistance from Mr Elon Musk's Space Exploration Technologies as "simply priceless". SpaceX's Starlink service has provided back-up Internet service in Ukraine, after the country's deputy prime minister Mykhailo Fedorov implored Mr Musk after Russia's invasion.
"This is back-up infrastructure," Mr Zhora said. "It was tested everywhere, and it works."
Ukrainian officials have observed hacking activity from groups aligned with other governments, according to Mr Zhora, but he said he did not yet know if those efforts are aligned with Russia.
He also said cyber attacks have also targeted charitable organisations in Europe that are providing support to refugees. In a March 4 blog post on its assistance in Ukraine, Amazon.com said it had "seen several situations where malware has been specifically targeted at charities, NGOs and other aid organisations to spread confusion and cause disruption".
"In these particularly egregious cases, malware has been targeted at disrupting medical supplies, food and clothing relief," according to the blog.
Moscow has consistently denied involvement in any malicious cyber activity.
