Ukrainian Intelligence cyberattack halts cash withdrawals in Russia, disrupts banking system
Cyber experts from the Main Directorate of Intelligence (GUR) have launched a significant assault on Russia's banking sector, payment systems, and internet providers since July 23.
Following ongoing issues with the online services of most Russian banks over the past few days, Russians are now facing another challenge: as of July 27, they cannot withdraw cash from ATMs.
According to RBC-Ukraine, which cites its sources, the disruption is due to a cyberattack orchestrated by the Ukrainian Defense Ministry's intelligence division. The objective is to paralyze operations within the banking sector involved in funding the war in Ukraine, as well as internet providers and social media platforms within the aggressor state.
When attempting to use ATMs, debit and credit cards of clients from several Russian banks are immediately blocked.
GUR specialists have also gained access to the databases of Russian financial institutions.
Initially, some Russian financial institutions, particularly Alfa Bank, denied that the disruption was due to external interference. However, other banks acknowledged facing a “massive DDOS attack planned from abroad” and are struggling to overcome its aftermath.
"Nonetheless, the online services of financial institutions across the country have been either completely offline or working erratically with frequent errors for three consecutive days. As a result, clients throughout Russia are unable to log into personal accounts, make service payments, use public transportation, or conduct any other financial transactions," Alfa Bank said.
Previously, Ukraine's Defense Intelligence had reported that cyber specialists and volunteers had targeted around one hundred Russian web resources. The objective of these attacks, according to Ukrainian intelligence, was to destroy internal information of companies that provide services to those involved in the aggression against Ukraine.