Russian hackers claim responsibility for attack on major Ukrainian mobile operator

Russian hackers from the so-called "Sonltsepyok" group have claimed full responsibility for a cyberattack on the Ukrainian mobile operator "Kyivstar." 

This information surfaced in the hacker's Telegram channel and was confirmed by Ukraine's Security Service, Rubryka reports.

On social media, the hacker group claimed to have allegedly destroyed 10,000 computers, over 4,000 servers, and all cloud data storage and backup systems.

"We attacked 'Kyivstar' because the company provides communication for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as well as state bodies and law enforcement agencies of Ukraine," the hackers stated.

In turn, the Security Service of Ukraine confirmed that the Russian hacker group was involved in the cyberattack that led to the destruction of the network infrastructure of the Ukrainian communication operator "Kyivstar."

"One of the Russian pseudo-hacking groups has already taken responsibility for the attack (according to Russian media reports). It is a hacking unit of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (better known as GRU), which publicly legitimizes the results of its criminal activities in this way. The SBU continues to document Russia's cyber attack on Ukraine's civilian infrastructure as another war crime by the Russians," said the security forces.

Cybersecurity experts from the Security Service of Ukraine and specialists from "Kyivstar," in collaboration with other state bodies, are continuing work to restore the network after yesterday's hacker attack.

The Chief of Public Relations of the Ground Forces Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Volodymyr Fitio, announced during a telethon that the situation with the disruption of the mobile operator "Kyivstar" did not hinder the work of Ukrainian soldiers on the front line.

The soldiers stressed that there was currently no impact on the military actions. While there may be some inconveniences for ordinary civilians, the issue with the national operator's failure is irrelevant for servicemen.

According to preliminary estimates, fixed internet for households is to be restored on December 13, and the launch of mobile communication and the internet will begin, the Security Service of Ukraine said.

To recap, there was a technical failure in the Kyivstar network on Tuesday, leading to disruptions in communication services and internet access for some subscribers.

One of the largest operators in Ukraine suffered a hacker attack, possibly causing a significant malfunction in Kyivstar's operation.

After a powerful cyberattack on the mobile operator "Kyivstar," the co-owner of Monobank reported a massive DDoS attack on the Ukrainian bank.

Later, the CEO of the mobile operator "Kyivstar," Oleksandr Komarov, stated that the timeline for restoring the operator's services was unclear.

The Security Service of Ukraine has opened an investigation into the cyberattack on "Kyivstar," suspecting the involvement of Russian special services.