Russia accused of election disinformation scheme
Washington — Federal prosecutors unveiled new charges against members of Russia’s military intelligence service on Thursday, alleging they engaged in “destructive” computer attacks that targeted civilian computer systems in Ukraine and around the world.
Prosecutors announced a superseding indictment against five members of the Russian GRU and one civilian for their campaign to hack the computers of dozens of Ukrainian government entities before Russia invaded the country in February 2022. The U.S. is offering up to $10 million for information about the cyber campaign and the defendants’ whereabouts.
The Justice Department said the hackers attacked computers involved in critical infrastructure and entities that are unrelated to Ukraine’s military or defense, such as agriculture, education and emergency services.
A federal grand jury returned the superseding indictment in early August, and it adds to charges brought in June against Amin Timovich Stigal, a 22-year-old Russian national. The new indictment was unsealed on Thursday.
Erek Barron, the top federal prosecutor in Maryland, said the hackers conducted “global malicious cyberoperations” around the world using malware known as Whispergate. The Justice Department described Whispergate as a “cyberweapon designed to completely destroy the target computer and related data” ahead of the Russian invasion.
Federal prosecutors said the hackers sought to diminish the morale of the Ukrainian people, in part by stealing and leaking the personal data of thousands of Ukrainians, including patient health information. The indictment alleges that “the purport of the attack was, in part, to sow concern among Ukrainian citizens regarding the safety of their government’s systems and their personal data in advance of the Russian attack in Ukraine.”
The defendants compromised computers hosting the website for Ukraine’s State Portal for Digital Services in January 2022 and posted a message that read, “Ukrainians! All information about you has become public, be afraid and expect the worst. This is for your past, present and future,” according to court filings.
The Russian hackers targeted computers across the world and in the U.S., including a Maryland-based government agency, and used the services of an “unwitting” U.S.-based company to distribute the Whispergate malware, according to the Justice Department.
In all, computer systems associated with 26 NATO partners were targeted, prosecutors said.
The indictment comes after the Biden administration announced a series of actions on Wednesday against the Russian government related to efforts to interfere in the 2024 election. Federal investigators seized 32 internet domains used by the Russian government and pro-Russian actors to mount a covert campaign designed to influence the upcoming election.
Two Russian nationals working for a news outlet controlled by the Russian government are also facing charges for allegedly funneling millions of dollars to a Tennessee-based media company that paid right-wing commentators for videos that pushed narratives favorable to the Kremlin.
Melissa Quinn is a politics reporter for CBSNews.com. She has written for outlets including the Washington Examiner, Daily Signal and Alexandria Times. Melissa covers U.S. politics, with a focus on the Supreme Court and federal courts.
