Ukraine's Security Service arrests 18-year-old hacker who targeted Ukrainian government sites – video

The Security Service of Ukraine has detained a young man who helped direct Kharkiv-bound Russian missiles and was preparing to conduct cyberattacks on Ukrainian government websites.

Source: Security Service of Ukraine (SSU); Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine

Details: The SSU says that the detainee is a member of the People's Cyber Army of the Russian Federation, a Russian hacking group. The Prosecutor General's Office adds that he is 18 years old and an IT specialist.

Information gathered by the hacker allowed Russian forces to conduct two missile strikes on civilian targets in the city, one of them hitting a local hospital, reports the SSU. He also conducted reconnaissance, relaying the locations of Defence Force operations within the oblast, especially potential artillery positions and air defence systems.

To gather intelligence, the young man navigated the area, covertly documenting locations where, in his opinion, Ukrainian defenders could be located. He relayed the information to the FSB through a popular messaging app, in the form of screenshots of digital maps overlaid with coordinates of potential targets.

In addition, the hacker was preparing to launch a series of DDoS attacks on the websites of Ukrainian state-owned companies and government agencies, by order of the FSB.

The SSU arrested him, confiscating mobile phones, a laptop and flash drives during a search of the young man’s residence.

The young man has been served with a notice of suspicion under Article 114-2.3 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (unauthorised dissemination of information about the direction, movement of weapons, ammunition and military equipment into Ukraine, and the movement or placement of the Armed Forces of Ukraine).

He is now in custody, and faces up to 12 years in prison.

Support UP or become our patron!