The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has repelled almost 10,000 cyberattacks since the outbreak of the full-scale war in 2022, and more attacks are taking place every day, SBU cyber chief Illia Vitiuk said on air on March 15.
Cyberattacks have become an increasingly common tool employed by both sides of the Russia-Ukraine war.
Ukraine came under around 4,500 cyberattacks in 2023 and a comparable number in 2022, which means 10-15 cases every day. In comparison, only 1,400 cyberattacks were recorded in 2021, Vitiuk said.
According to the official, most of the attempts were halted in their initial phase.
"Cyberwar is not something abstract and virtual. Every repulsed attack is an unacceptable attempt to harm our state and people," the SBU official emphasized.
As an example, Vitiuk reminded a mass cyberattack against the telecommunications provider Kyivstar in December 2023. People across the country reported internet and network outages, and the company's losses amounted to Hr 3.6 billion ($92.8 million).
The SBU's cyber operations also help to undermine Russian military capabilities amid the ongoing war.
"We are disrupting supply chains of components for Russian weapons. One of the examples is that we have already blocked the supply of servomotors for 1,600 Shahed (drones) and 4,000 microcircuits for cruise missiles," Vitiuk said.
The service's cyber specialists are also working on the front line to disable Russian electronic warfare and communications systems and intercept reconnaissance drones, he noted.
Oleksandr Tartachnyi
