Court records, U.S. Department of Justice announcements

U.S. Charges Russian GRU Officers for 'WhisperGate' Cyberattacks on Ukraine and NATO Allies

Sep 5, 2024, 06:15 PM

The U.S. Department of Justice has charged five Russian GRU officers and one civilian with conspiring to hack the Ukrainian government and its allies, including 26 NATO countries. The indictment, unsealed by a Maryland grand jury, accuses the defendants of cyberattacks aimed at critical infrastructure in Ukraine ahead of Russia’s invasion. These cyber operations, linked to the 'WhisperGate' wiper-malware campaign, were intended to sabotage, leak sensitive information, destroy data, and conduct espionage. The GRU Unit 29155, responsible for these attacks, has also been involved in coup attempts, assassinations, and bombings across Europe. U.S. agencies, including the FBI, NSA, and CISA, have issued a joint cybersecurity advisory detailing the tactics used by these Russian actors.