Internet apocalypse: Defense Intelligence hackers continue to attack Russia's digital infrastructure
Photo: Russian infrastructure collapsed after Ukrainian cyberattack (Getty Images)
Cyber specialists from Defense Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine have once again carried out a large-scale attack on Russian digital infrastructure used to support Russia's military aggression against Ukraine. By the third day of the operation, new targets, including additional banks and payment services, have been added to the list.
This was reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing sources.
According to a source in the Defense Intelligence, the current targets include major Russian banking institutions, specifically:
- Alfa Bank
- Sberbank
- Raiffeisen Bank
- VTB Bank
- Russian Agricultural Bank
- Rosbank
- Gazprombank
- T-Bank
- iBank
- Promsvyazbank
- Post Bank
- Russian internet service Avito, used for posting advertisements about goods, real estate, resumes, and job vacancies
At the same time, today the following are also affected:
- Russian social network VK
- Messenger Discord
- The System of Fast Payment (SBP)
- National Payment Card System (NSPK)
- Video streaming service Lampa
According to sources, some financial institutions, including Alfa Bank, initially denied that the disruption was related to external interference. However, other banks, including VTB, have acknowledged that they are dealing with a "large-scale DDoS attack planned from abroad" and are working to mitigate its effects.
Meanwhile, online services of financial institutions across the country have either been completely down or functioning intermittently with errors for the third day. As a result, clients throughout Russia are unable to access personal accounts, make service payments, pay for public transportation, or perform other financial transactions.
The situation for Russians is further complicated by the unstable operation of internet providers, which are also targeted by Ukrainian cyber specialists. The affected providers include:
- Beeline
- MegaFon
- MTS
- Tele2
- Rostelecom
According to enemy media, hackers are using their usual method: scanning the infrastructure of their targets, finding vulnerabilities, and then launching their attacks.
It is reported that users across Russia are unable to fully access banking services. Some Russian media outlets are referring to the current events as an "internet apocalypse" and acknowledge that they have never encountered such powerful cyberattacks before.
Sources in the Defense Intelligence confirm that the operation against the financial institutions of the aggressor state is ongoing.
It is worth noting that the large-scale cyberattack on Russia began on the morning of July 23. As a result, the operation of payment systems, mobile banking apps, personal accounts, public transportation payment systems, and other services either ceased or became significantly disrupted.
We also reported that just a few days before Ukraine's attack on Russia, a technical IT glitch caused 8.5 million Windows computers worldwide to fail.
