Times: Ukrainian security service accuses China of cyber attack shortly before Russian invasion

China launched a massive cyber-attack on Ukraine’s military and nuclear facilities shortly before the Russian invasion, according to memoranda leaked to the Times by Ukrainian intelligence.

More than 600 sites owned by the Kiev Ministry of Defense and other agencies have suffered thousands of breach attempts coordinated by the Chinese government, according to Ukraine’s security service, the SBU.

The agency revealed that, in an obvious sign of complicity in the invasion, the Chinese attacks began before the end of the Winter Olympics and culminated on February 23, a day before Russian troops and tanks crossed the border.

The SBU said China’s attacks sought to penetrate targets ranging from the border defense forces to the national bank and the railway authority. They were designed to steal data and explore ways to shut down or disrupt vital defense and political infrastructure.

Russia also tried to paralyze Ukraine’s computer networks and compromise government websites before the invasion, but the SBU said the Chinese attacks could be distinguished from the tools and methods of the People’s Liberation Army’s cyber warfare unit. .

Asked if Britain’s intelligence services were aware of the alleged Chinese breaches, a government spokesman told the Times: “The National Cybersecurity Center is investigating these allegations with our international partners.”

US intelligence sources said that information about a Chinese cyber attack on a government building in Ukraine before the Russian invasion was accurate. The Chinese embassy did not respond to a request for comment.

Shortly afterwards, according to the SBU, the Ukrainian government noticed an escalation of attacks on computer networks (CNEs), which are commonly used for reconnaissance and espionage.

The service stated that it had noticed “an increase in activity against our country’s networks in mid-February, with active CNE operations being conducted daily”. The culmination was on February 23, the day before the invasion, with Russian and Chinese cyberattacks.

The SBU shared with the Times a series of intelligence memos, believed to have been prepared by another country, that describe the scale and ambition of the attack.

They identified key military targets, such as the Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council and the State Border Guard, as well as civilian services, such as the National Bank and the Ministry of Finance. A memorandum describes the attack on Ukraine’s nuclear infrastructure.