Putin's Payback: Russian Leader Humiliated as Ukraine's Massive Cyber Attack Disrupts Banks and Government Sites

Ukraine’s military intelligence agency (HUR) has announced the conclusion of a significant cyber operation targeting numerous Russian entities.

According to Knewz.com, the week-long campaign disrupted the digital infrastructure of banks, telecommunications companies and other service providers.

A Ukrainian news outlet reported that the Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack began on July 23 and was described as one of the largest cyber attacks in recent memory.

The attack flooded servers with traffic, rendering internet services unavailable to regular citizens. The primary targets included Russian financial institutions, payment systems, social media platforms, digital messaging services and various government online services.

An anonymous source within the HUR stated, "As of 19:00 on July 30, the Russians have not managed to restore the proper functioning of leading banking and payment systems, mobile operators, social networks, and Internet providers. There are still malfunctions on the web resources of the Russian Defense Ministry, the Interior Ministry, and the Federal Tax Service."

The source added, "We can now exhale and confirm the completion of the operation. Thank you to everyone who participated, helped and supported. Of course, this is just a prelude to even more interesting events."

The source further warned, "We advise the Russians to start digging a grave for their digital infrastructure. It’s time for the enemy to recall the idea of an isolated, inherently Russian ‘CheburNet’ with moats, digital guards, and firewalls around the perimeter. See you in the next act of this captivating story."

The cyber attack reportedly affected millions of Russians across the country, with the chaos reaching the federal tax services on its final day.

This incident follows concerns about a potential cyber threat to the ongoing Paris Olympics, allegedly sanctioned by Moscow. The American cybersecurity company Mandiant has warned that Russia may pose a heightened risk to the event due to France’s financial and military support for Ukraine following Russia’s invasion in February 2022.

Russian athletes, although allowed to compete, are prohibited from doing so under their country's flag — a decision that has provoked strong reactions from Russian officials, including President Vladimir Putin, who condemned the opening of the games as "disgusting."

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Mandiant's report highlighted the potential threat, stating, "Russia’s perceived grievances at its athletes being once again banned from competing under the Russian flag elevate the threat from Russian cyber-attacks compared to other states."

The report further noted that APT44, a Russian military-sponsored entity known for espionage, is highly likely to target the upcoming games with disruptive, destructive or hybrid operations, in addition to intelligence gathering.