The Secretary of the ESCU in Ukraine: The Latest podcast emphasizes that Russia’s hybrid attacks on Ukraine began even before the classical aggression in 2014. Since 2022, cyber aggression has become a daily reality for Ukrainians—both military personnel and civilians.
"If we talk about the full-scale invasion, cyberattacks started several days before the assault on Ukraine. They targeted our military sector, including the Ministry of Defense, as well as other areas, such as the banking sector. We saw that these attacks were used to further intimidate Ukrainians, and they were closely linked with assaults in other directions.
During the winter of 2022–2023, a series of cyberattacks occurred—exactly when powerful missile strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure were recorded for the first time. This allowed us to see a real correlation between different dimensions of aggression."
According to Ilona, Russia’s objective is not limited to Ukraine. Increasingly, the victims of cyber aggression are EU countries and members of the North Atlantic Alliance.
"We observed many instances when European parliaments, which supported Ukraine, were targeted by cyber attacks on the same day. This is a clear example that Russia's aggression is not only focused on the Ukrainian market and military structures but also on entire defense systems in other EU countries and among NATO member states."
Despite claims by countries that cyber defense is an integral component of collective security, there are still no clear, coordinated criteria to determine when a cyber attack constitutes grounds for invoking measures under NATO's Article 5. Ilona explains that the response to this multidimensional aggression must be comprehensive and coordinated at the international level in order to effectively counter the aggressor and safeguard cyberspace.
Listen to the full episode of Ukraine: The Latest podcast with ESCU Secretary Ilona Khmeleva on The Telegraph.