Cyber specialists from Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR) have successfully hacked into Russia's banking and other payment systems, sources from the agency told Kyiv Post on Wednesday, July 24.

As a result of the cyberattack, which began on the morning of July 23, payment systems, mobile applications of banks, personal accounts, public transport payment systems, etc. have ceased working or been significantly impeded. The hack has also caused interruptions to Russian major mobile operators and Internet providers across the country.

Users are reporting that they are unable to access digital services from several major banking institutions in the country. Online services are either not functioning or have been significantly degraded at Alfa-Bank, Sberbank, Raiffeisen Bank, VTB Bank, RSHB Bank, Gazprombank, Tinkoff Bank, and the online banking service iBank.

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In addition to banks and other payment systems, residents have been unable to use mobile communication or mobile internet services providers Beeline, MegaFon, Tele2, and Rostelecom.

An intelligence source told Kyiv Post, “In reality, Russians are thus achieving the ‘objectives of the special military operation,’ which, as we know, is ‘going according to plan.’ Russia and Putin's serfs are returning to their ‘roots’ and ‘spiritual bonds’: the ‘NATO’ internet is having less and less influence on Russians’ lives, and online services are disappearing like ‘enemy liberal values.’ This is an opportune moment to fully implement the Kremlin's long-desired ‘import substitution’ in the form of wooden abacuses, paper savings books, and cave paintings for accounting.”

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In Russia, it has already been acknowledged that the widespread disruption of online services is the result of an attack by “politically motivated hackers.” Ukrainian intelligence told us that the attack is ongoing and far from over.

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“We are making every effort to accelerate this process and return Muscovites to a time when Bitcoin, stock shares, or even the dollar had no impact on their lives. After all, they simply won't have access to these,” an HUR source said.

On July 15, HUR specialists along with a volunteer hacker community, attacked around 100 Russian web resources. The joint cyberattack was aimed at destroying the internal data belonging to those companies that support Russian state sector agencies involved in waging war against Ukraine.

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