US widens indictment of Russians in ‘WhisperGate’ conspiracy to destroy Ukrainian and NATO systems

BALTIMORE (AP) — The U.S. Justice Department has widened its indictment of Russians in the so-called ‘WhisperGate’ malware attack aimed at destroying computer systems in Ukraine and 26 NATO allies including the United States.

A superseding indictment announced Thursday names five Russian military intelligence officers in a conspiracy to demoralize the Ukrainian people on the eve of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

One federal official said the “WhisperGate” malware attack in January 2022 could be considered Russia’s first shot in the war. The cyberattacks penetrated U.S. companies and targeted Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure and computer systems unrelated to defense, including the judiciary, emergency services, food safety and education, they said.

“Seeking to sap the morale of the Ukrainian public, the defendants also stole and leaked the personal data of thousands of Ukrainian civilians, including by posting patient health information and other sensitive private data for sale online and then taunting those victims,” said Matthew Olsen, assistant attorney general for national security.

The attacks weren’t limited to Ukraine, Olsen said at a news conference in Baltimore with Maryland U.S. Attorney Erek Barron.

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