Ukrainian hackers launch major cyberattacks disrupting Russian infrastructure and communications

Ukrainian hackers associated with the country's Intelligence Directorate, GUR, have launched a series of powerful cyberattacks targeting key infrastructure in Russia. These attacks have disrupted operations at "Orion Telecom," a Siberian internet provider, alongside Russia's tax and customs services, as well as Russian Railways.

The hacktivist group BO Team has claimed responsibility for a large-scale attack on "Orion Telecom," one of the largest internet service providers in Siberia. The company revealed that during the night of June 12, their systems faced a massive DDoS attack, which resulted in widespread internet outages for customers. Their official Telegram channel confirmed a system overload caused by an avalanche of requests.

BO Team, however, asserts the damage is far more extensive. In their communication, the group detailed, "'Orion Telecom' supported the so-called 'Special Military Operation,' providing services to Russian defense sector. As a result, 497 core network switches, 28,259 access switches were disabled, and 370 servers completely wiped."

In addition, hackers shared screenshots purportedly showing root access to servers and internal data, claiming they successfully extracted the entire client database.

RBC-Ukraine reported, citing sources within Ukrainian intelligence, the cyberattack even severed communication links in a Russian 'closed city' specializing in uranium extraction.

Between June 10 and 12, GUR specialists also orchestrated a series of attacks on Russia's IT infrastructure. The strikes affected the Federal Tax and Customs services, alongside the website and mobile application of the Russian Railways (RZhD).

Russia's Federal Customs Service acknowledged the incident, indicating: "Information exchange with foreign economic operators is hindered." The systems "Kontur", "Honest Sign," and "GosKey," essential to the nation's digital document flow, were all compromised.

Russian Railways confirmed the impact: due to a DDoS attack, Russians were unable to purchase tickets online for a day, with complaints pouring in from St. Petersburg, Tver, and Sverdlovsk regions. In response, the rail company recommended customers buy tickets in person.

Experts highlight that these Ukrainian cyber force attacks are part of a strategy to weaken the governance and logistic frameworks within Russia. As the conflict unfolds, cyberspace has emerged as a crucial battleground.