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Military intelligence claims it shut down Russian Defense Ministry server

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Military intelligence claims it shut down Russian Defense Ministry server
Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) launched a cyberattack that allegedly "knocked out" the special communications server of the Russian Defense Ministry on Jan. 30, 2023. (HUR/Telegram)

Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) launched a cyberattack that allegedly "knocked out" the special communications server of the Russian Defense Ministry, the agency reported on Jan. 30.

"As a result of a cyberattack, the server of the Defense Ministry of the aggressor state of Russia, which was used for special communications, went down," the announcement reads.

"The exchange of information between the units of the Russian Defense Ministry that used the server located in Moscow was terminated."

The software used to launch the attack was reportedly approved by the Russian Federal Security Service as compliant with state information security standards and was downloaded on various strategic facilities of the Russian public sector, including the military.

As of 9:24 p.m. local time, the attack is reportedly ongoing.

Cyberattacks have become an increasingly common tool employed by both sides of the Russia-Ukraine war. In one of the most devastating strikes, Russian hackers targeted Ukraine's telecommunications provider, Kyivstar, causing communication outages nationwide last December.

Military intelligence claims cyberattack on IT company providing services to Russian defense industry
Ukraine’s military intelligence agency (HUR) launched a cyber attack against the Moscow-based IPL Consulting company, which provides services to the Russian heavy industry and military-industrial complex, the agency said on Jan. 27.
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Rachel Amran

News Editor

Rachel Amran is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked on the Europe and Central Asia team of Human Rights Watch investigating war crimes in Ukraine. Rachel holds a master's degree in Russian, Eastern European, and Eurasian Regional Studies from Columbia University.

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