Threat actors targeted multiple Ukrainian government websites on Friday, temporarily disabling sites and leaving messages warning readers to “be afraid and expect the worse.”
According to Ukrainian officials said, it is too early to draw any conclusions but they pointed to a “long record” of Russian cyber-attacks against Ukraine as tensions between Russia and the West over Ukraine escalate following several rounds of unsuccessful talks.
Ukraine’s foreign ministry described the incident as a “massive cyberattack,” but noted that no content on the sites had been altered and no personal details had been leaked.
Websites for the government’s cabinet, security and defense councils, and ministry for education were among those affected. “Our specialists are already working on restoring the work of IT systems, and the cyber police opened an investigation,” said the spokesperson.
The foreign ministry website temporarily displayed a message in Ukrainian, Russian, and Polish that appeared to suggest the attack was in response to Ukraine's pro-Western stance.
"Ukrainians! All of your personal data .. have been deleted and are impossible to restore. All information about you has become public, be afraid and expect the worst. This is for your past, present and future. For Volyn, OUN, UPA, Galitsia, Polesye and for historical lands," it said, referring to ultra-nationalist organizations and regions of Ukraine.
The authorities including the SBU security service and Cyberpolice are working to address the issue. The education ministry said that the attack comes as tensions between Russia and the West soar over Ukraine, a strategic ex-Soviet country. The Western intelligence has blamed Russia for deploying tanks, artillery, and about 100,000 soldiers on Ukraine's war-torn eastern border in recent weeks, in what NATO says is preparation for an invasion. Meanwhile, Moscow says it has no plans to invade Ukraine.
Earlier this week the United States and its NATO allies held talks with Russian officials in an attempt to ease tensions, but all three rounds of negotiations -- in Geneva, Brussels, and Vienna -- proved unsuccessful.
Ukraine has suffered a series of cyber-attacks since 2014, which have knocked out power supplies, frozen supermarket tills, and forced the authorities to prop up the hryvnia currency after banks' IT systems crashed.
