Russian Hackers Paralyze Ukraine's Telecom Giant Kyivstar

Infiltration began as early as May 2023, culminating in a devastating December attack that disrupted services for 25 million subscribers and wiped out critical infrastructure.

Russian hackers from the Solntsepek group, linked to the infamous Sandworm, infiltrated Ukraine's telecommunications giant, Kyivstar, as early as May 2023, gaining full access by November.
The cyberattack in December wiped 10,000 computers and thousands of virtual servers, annihilating all cloud storage and backup systems, and leaving Kyivstar's network in shambles.
Almost overnight, Kyivstar’s 25 million mobile and home internet subscribers were plunged into digital darkness, cut off from the world.
Ukrainian telecom operators and ISPs have been facing a series of cyberattacks since May 2023, characterized by the deployment of scripts that wipe equipment and backups, making recovery efforts a Herculean task.
The attack also reportedly disrupted the air raid alert systems in parts of Kyiv and some banking services.