Ukrainian, Western hackers regularly target Russia, says diplomat

Russian Politics & Diplomacy October 25, 2023, 8:44

Andrey Belousov also pointed out that the North Atlantic Alliance is seeking to transform the information space into another theater of war

UNITED NATIONS, October 25. /TASS/. Russia is systematically subject to hacking attacks from Ukraine, said Andrey Belousov, deputy permanent representative of Russia to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva.

"Our country is systematically subject to computer attacks from Ukraine and a number of other Western countries," Belousov said at a meeting of the UN General Assembly First Committee on Disarmament. He referred to multiple confirmations and such evidence as a public statement by Director of the US Cyber Command Paul Nakasone who acknowledged that cyber offensives are being conducted against Russia, including by the Ukrainian IT Army which was established with US assistance.

The North Atlantic Alliance is seeking to transform the information space into another theater of war, Belousov said with confidence. "[NATO allies] have long been engaged in building the offensive potential in the field of information and communications technology," the Russian diplomat said.

Commenting on the assistance NATO has been providing to Ukraine, Belousov said that teams of cyber-experts are sent there to prepare and coordinate the activity of hackers who carry out computer attacks against Russia’s IT infrastructure. He did not rule out that computer hackers who have been trained by the United States and its allies would soon wish to use their competence and capabilities in the cyber sphere against their own masters.

Belousov also gave assurances that Russia has the necessary potential to protect its interests, including in the IT sphere, as he warned of what he said would be an appropriate response to any devastating hacking attack against Russian critical infrastructure.

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