Ukraine accuses Russia of waging a 'hybrid war'

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Ukraine accuses Russia of waging a 'hybrid war'
This combination of file pictures created on January 11, 2022 shows Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.VALERY SHARIFULIN,BERTRAND GUAY/AFP via Getty Images
  • Ukraine blamed Russia for a massive cyberattack that impacted government agencies.
  • Ukraine said Russia was engaging in a "hybrid war."
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Ukraine has accused Russia of engaging in a "hybrid war" following a cyber attack on government websites, the Associated Press reported.

The Guardian reported on Friday that Ukraine was hit with a "massive" cyberattack. The attack knocked out several government sites including the ministry of foreign affairs.

In a statement, Microsoft said dozens of computer systems at an unspecified number of Ukrainian agencies were infected with destructive malware disguised as ransomware. The malware was first detected on Thursday,

In a statement obtained by the AP, Ukraine's Ministry of Digital Development said it had evidence that Russia was behind the cyberattack.

"All evidence indicates that Russia is behind the cyberattack. Moscow continues to wage a hybrid war and is actively building up its forces in the information and cyberspaces," the ministry statement said.

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Insider has reached out to the ministry for comment.

This development comes as Russia continues to threaten Ukraine with the prospect of an invasion. US President Joe Biden warned Russian President Vladimir Putin against invading Ukraine last month.

"What I am doing is putting together what I believe to be will be the most comprehensive and meaningful set of initiatives to make it very, very difficult for Mr. Putin to go ahead and do what people are worried he may do," Biden said.

Late last month, Putin warned Biden that relations between the two countries could collapse if the US imposes sanctions on Russia over its actions in Ukraine after Biden called on Russia to "de-escalate tensions."

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