The Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR) of Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense has reported a significant cyber operation against Russian aerospace and defense company Tupolev. According to Ukrainian news outlets, GUR claims its military intelligence hackers successfully breached the firm’s systems, resulting in the theft of approximately 4.4 gigabytes of classified information.
This stolen data reportedly includes personal information of Tupolev staff, internal communications, procurement documents, resumes of engineers and designers, and minutes from closed meetings. An anonymous source within GUR stated that the hackers had been infiltrating Tupolev’s network for an extended period, allowing them to gather critical information that could impact other organizations within Russia’s defense sector.
Describing the operation’s significance, the source noted the immense value of the intelligence acquired, suggesting that the data could severely undermine Tupolev’s operational secrecy. “We now have comprehensive information on individuals directly involved in maintaining Russia’s strategic aviation,” the source told Kyiv Post.
In addition to the data breach, the hackers defaced Tupolev’s official website, which now redirects visitors to the site of United Aircraft Corporation (UAC). While a spokesperson from UAC was not available for immediate comments, the implications of this breach come on the heels of other successful operations by Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU), which have targeted various Russian military assets, including drone strikes against Russian warplanes at airfields.
Previously, GUR asserted it had breached the servers of the Russian Ministry of Defense and other sensitive Russian entities, accumulating data that has led to substantial operational disruptions. This ongoing cyber warfare illustrates the intensifying conflict between Ukraine and Russia since the invasion began in February 2014, with Ukrainian hacktivists targeting Russian organizations as a form of retaliation.