US admits to helping Ukraine in ‘cyber’ war with Russia

“We conducted a series of operations across the entire range: Offensive, defensive and informational,” General Paul Nakasone said in an interview with Sky News. The spokesman declined to disclose details of the command’s operations in Ukraine.

This is a rare public admission from US military officials about hacking activities.

Mr. Nakasone’s comments and the White House’s response suggest that cyberspace is an area where the administration of President Joe Biden feels confident.

Biden has pledged not to engage directly militarily with Russia in the Ukraine war as long as the United States and its allies are not attacked.

On June 1, at a press conference, when asked whether the actions of Cyber ​​Command contradicted Biden’s pledge, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre replied: reply: “We don’t see that!”

Officials from Biden and below have repeatedly warned Russia could carry out cyberattacks on US infrastructure after Washington and its allies imposed sanctions on the Kremlin over the war in Ukraine.

The reason why such an attack hasn’t happened seems to be because Russia is afraid of escalating conflicts in cyberspace, one US official told CNN.

“The Russians have had enough problems during the Ukraine campaign, I don’t think they would risk confronting the US in a cyber war,” the official noted, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The senior US official added: “For Russia, confronting the US in cyberspace is not feasible, at least for the moment. Cyberwar is a new field, and they need more time. time to prepare”.

Analysts say the US Cyber ​​Command has matured significantly since its inception more than a decade ago and has increasingly become a tool of reflection of the country’s power. The ministry sent staff to Ukraine in December 2021 to help Kiev strengthen its cyber defenses and gather information on potential Russian attack threats, officials said.

In the midst of intense hostilities, numerous cyberattacks have been reported in both Ukraine and Russia. The websites of ministries and government media outlets have been taken down or altered to broadcast anti-war slogans.

Washington’s senior defense intelligence official expressed concern that the Russian government might misjudge these attacks as coming from the US government.

“This raises the risk of an unnecessary conflict,” the official noted.