UK spy chief says Putin losing information war in Ukraine

UK spy chief says Putin losing information war in Ukraine
August 19, 2022, 7:56 am

A photo shows how the Russian invaders destroyed the city of Bakhmut in Ukraine - Photo. The husband and wife photographer team of Konstiantyn and Vlada Liberov via Euromaidan Press

The head of Britain’s GCHQ intelligence service said Friday (August 19), Russia is still failing to gain ground in cyberspace against Ukraine, some six months after its invasion of the country.

In an op-ed in The Economist, Jeremy Fleming wrote that both countries are using their cyber capabilities in the war in Ukraine, but that Russian President Vladimir Putin's tactics are "irresponsible and indiscriminate," Reuters reported, the i24 news said.

Fleming wrote: "So far, President Putin has comprehensively lost the information war in Ukraine and in the West. Although that's cause for celebration, we should not underestimate how Russian disinformation is playing out elsewhere in the world.”

"Just as with its land invasion, Russia's initial online plans appear to have fallen short. The country's use of offensive cyber tools has been irresponsible and indiscriminate."

Fleming said Moscow deployed WhisperGate malware to destroy and deface Ukrainian government systems.

Since the start of the war, Ukrainian sappers, firefighters and rescue workers have been on the front lines, working tirelessly to extinguish raging fires, clearing debris, demining cities and fields, performing their duty with honor. Photo: Euromaidan Press via Vova Neizviestny, Julia Kochetova, Konstantin Liberov

He also noted that Russia is using the same playbook as it did in Syria and the Balkans, and said online disinformation is a major part of Russia’s strategy.

However, the GCHQ has been able to intercept and provide warnings in time, he said.

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Without going into much detail, Fleming said the UK's National Cyber Force could respond to Russian cyberattacks by deploying a UK military unit that employs offensive cyber tools.

In June, the United States warned of elevated cyber threats in the wake of Moscow’s assault on Kyiv, as Western nations began to experience a rise in cyberattacks on financial institutions since the war broke out.

Source: i24news

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