The United States accuses Russian military of cybercrimes
Six Russian military intelligence officials have been accused of unleashing cyberattacks that caused billions of dollars in damage in Europe, Asia and the Americas.
The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) and the FBI have filed charges against six officers of Military Unit 74455 of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Russian General Staff (GRU).
The United States has alleged that Russian officials used destructive malware to launch a cyberattack from Ukraine, causing billions of dollars in damage across Europe, Asia and the Americas.
According to the US Department of Defense, the GRU’s NotPetya cyberattack disrupted the delivery of critical infrastructure services to the public, including the transportation and healthcare sectors.
The indictment also refers to another GRU cyberattack, which allegedly caused the disruption of critical electrical distribution and financial services networks in Ukraine.
Other cyberattacks noted in the indictment include attacks targeting organizations investigating the 2018 nerve agent poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and others in the United Kingdom, and malicious cyber activity targeting government entities and private companies in Georgia and elections in France.
“[These] “Cyber activities demonstrate a complete disregard for public safety and international stability,” the US Department of Defense said in a statement.
“Russia, which presents itself as a defender of stability in cyberspace, is in fact one of the biggest disruptors of the global Internet.
“We call on Russia to end its irresponsible behavior. Additionally, we call on all states that wish to see greater stability in cyberspace to join us in helping bring the actors charged today to justice.”
