Cyber espionage on Ukraine’s border? GRU accused of hacking cameras: Border Guard responds
Photo: Spokesperson for the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine Andriy Demchenko (mediacenter.org.ua)
Intelligence services of NATO countries have stated that GRU (Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation) hackers may have gained access to cameras on Ukraine’s border. However, Ukrainian border guards deny this, reports Andriy Demchenko, spokesperson for the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, in a comment to RBC-Ukraine.
"There has been no breach or interference with the State Border Guard Service’s video surveillance systems at the border," he said.
According to Demchenko, border guards of neighboring countries have also not reported any external interference with their information systems, including video surveillance systems.
The spokesperson for the State Border Guard Service emphasized that Ukrainian border guards have not recorded any hacking of surveillance cameras — this applies both to border crossing points and the green border zone.
Demchenko added that Ukrainian border guards are in constant contact with their counterparts in other countries. As the spokesperson noted, if there is any impact on the electronic systems of other countries, the State Border Guard Service will share information to take it into account in its own operations.
Russian cyberattacks
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) of the US Department of Homeland Security has released a report detailing cyberattacks carried out by Russia’s GRU (Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation). The focus is on the 85th Main Special Service Center, known among cybersecurity experts as Fancy Bear, APT28, Forest Blizzard, or BlueDelta.
According to the report, Russian hackers intensified their attacks on NATO countries’ logistics infrastructure starting in late February 2022. The targets of these cyberattacks included companies involved in delivering aid to Ukraine.
The report also states that hackers hijacked thousands of IP cameras at border checkpoints and railway hubs, enabling Russian intelligence to monitor aid convoys in real time.
The Guardian, citing intelligence reports from the UK and its allies, also reported that the GRU had gained access to surveillance cameras along Ukraine’s border to spy on aid deliveries.
The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) urged private companies involved in the aid effort to "take immediate steps to protect themselves." According to the cyber agency, Russian hackers may have accessed cameras at border crossings, military facilities, and railway stations, as well as traffic cameras.
It is reported that approximately 10,000 cameras were installed near "military facilities and railway stations to monitor the movement of materials to Ukraine," with 80% located in Ukraine and 10% in Romania. Cameras in Poland, Hungary, and Slovakia were also targeted.
