Ukraine thwarts Russian cyberattack on energy plant

Ukraine has foiled a Russian cyberattack on one of its largest energy facilities, officials said, as the country prepares for an expected offensive by Moscow’s forces in the east.

The attack was carried out by Sandworm, a hacker group with ties to Russia’s intelligence services, according to Ukraine’s Computer Emergency Response Team.

The targeted energy facility was to have been struck in two waves, the government agency said in a statement, with an initial attack taking place in February and the thwarted follow-up scheduled for April 8.

While the group’s malware successfully penetrated the grid’s management system, it resulted in no power outages, Victor Zhora, a top cybersecurity official, told a press briefing.

The attack employed a modified version of the Industroyer2 malware, Mr Zhora said, adding it was intended to amplify damage done to the country’s physical energy infrastructure by the Russian military.