BALTIMORE — The U.S. Justice Department has widened its indictment of Russians in the so-called WhisperGate malware attacks aimed at destroying computer systems in Ukraine and 26 NATO allies including the United States.
A superseding indictment announced Thursday names five Russian military intelligence officers in a conspiracy to demoralize the Ukrainian people on the eve of Russia‘s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The WhisperGate attacks in January 2022 could be considered Russia’s first shot in the war, said William DelBagno, special agent in charge of the FBI‘s Baltimore field office. The cyberattacks penetrated U.S. companies and targeted Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure and computer systems unrelated to defense, including the judiciary, emergency services, food safety and education, officials said.
“Seeking to sap the morale of the Ukrainian public, the defendants also stole and leaked the personal data of thousands of Ukrainian civilians, including by posting patient health information and other sensitive private data for sale online and then taunting those victims,” said Matthew Olsen, assistant attorney general for national security.
The attacks weren’t limited to Ukraine, Olsen said at the news conference in Baltimore, which also included Maryland U.S. Attorney Erek Barron.
Olsen said. “They went on to target computer systems in other nations supporting Ukraine in its fight for survival. Ultimately, their targets…
