The US Justice Department says six Russian computer hackers have been indicted for their alleged involvement in cyberattacks on the Ukrainian government in 2022.
Five of them were military officers of the Russian Main Intelligence Directorate, or GRU.
The DOJ says these hackers engaged in a conspiracy to hack into computer systems associated with the Ukrainian government in advance of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The defendants distributed malware known as WhisperGate, which the DOJ says was actually a cyber-weapon designed to completely destroy the target computer and related data.
It says in conjunction with these attacks, the defendants compromised some websites and posted statements telling Ukrainians that all information about them had become public. It added that the group offered the hacked data for sale on the Internet on the same day.
The DOJ suspects the attacks were intended to stoke public fears about the security of government computer systems and personal data.
Beginning in 2021, the defendants also probed a variety of protected computer systems, including those associated with 26 NATO member countries, searching for potential vulnerabilities.
A DOJ official says the Justice Department will use every available tool to disrupt malicious cyber activities and hold perpetrators accountable for targeting the US and its allies.