U.S. Charges Russian Officials in Major Cyberattack Scheme

The U.S. charged five Russian intelligence officials and a civilian for cyberattacks against Ukraine, starting in 2020, before Russia's 2022 invasion. The revised indictment follows previous actions against Russia for election meddling and sanctions violations, highlighting a significant cyber espionage campaign by Russian military intelligence.

The U.S. has officially charged five Russian intelligence officials and a civilian with conspiring to carry out cyberattacks targeting Ukraine and its allies, aiming to destabilize the region. The Justice Department revealed that Russia's military intelligence agency, known as the GRU, initiated large-scale cyber operations as early as 2020, preceding the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

The initial indictment, which surfaced in June within the District Court of Maryland, named Amin Stigal as the sole defendant. This revised indictment expands the list of accused, detailing their conspiracy with the GRU to assault various computer networks, including one operated by an unnamed U.S. agency in Maryland.

This development follows recent legal measures by the U.S. against Russia for purportedly interfering in the 2024 presidential elections. Additional charges include indicting two employees from the Russian state media, RT, and sanctioning the network and its chief editor. Intelligence from the U.S. and U.K. also highlighted that Unit 29155, a covert GRU division, has been targeting critical national infrastructure outside Russia.

(With inputs from agencies.)