The large-scale cyberattack on Kyivstar has become one of the biggest threats in Ukraine since the beginning of the war
British intelligence has identified the recent cyber attack on Ukraine’s leading mobile operator, Kyivstar, as one of the most serious incidents since the Russian invasion. According to according to the UK Ministry of Defense, the impact of the attack on telecommunications services was felt for at least two days, leaving more than half of Ukraine’s population without communication and Internet access.
Representatives of Kyivstar assured that the personal data of customers had not been compromised.
The attack also negatively impacted the operation of the air raid system, banking institutions and payment systems. Another Ukrainian bank, Monobank, suffered a DDoS attack that disrupted its website. This underscores the strategic importance of cybersecurity and the need to protect critical infrastructure facilities.
Although Russians are constantly attacking Ukrainian civilian targets and critical infrastructure, this incident is comparable to the destruction of the power grid last year by Russian missile attacks, which left the entire country without electricity for a long time. We also note that these attacks have little impact on the course of the war. So, the target of the Russians is primarily the civilian population of Ukraine.
According to British intelligence, given the scale and consequences of the attack on the mobile operator, especially in the context of the importance of telecommunications for national security and everyday life, this incident can be assessed as one of the most devastating since the beginning of the military conflict in the region and entails another war crime by the Russians against the civilian population.
“Kyivstar has already announced the restoration of mobile Internet throughout the country and is working to restore the full operation of the SMS service.
