Ukrainian Hackers Claim Victory Over Major Russian Drone Company

In a recent move that could significantly disrupt Russia's military capabilities in Ukraine, two Ukrainian hacktivist groups have claimed responsibility for a devastating cyberattack on Gaskar Group, a major supplier of drones to the Russian military.

The attack was announced by BO Team, a group of hackers known as "Black Owl," in a Telegram post on July 14. According to BO Team, the operation was a joint effort with another Ukrainian group called the Ukrainian Cyber Alliance and Ukraine's military intelligence agency. This collaboration allowed the groups to capture Gaskar Group's entire network and server infrastructure, collecting valuable information about manufactured and prospective UAVs.

"We captured the entire network and server infrastructure of Gaskar Group," BO Team stated in their Telegram post. "We collect valuable information about manufactured and prospective UAVs with the subsequent destruction of information and disabling this infrastructure." The group claimed that 47 TB of valuable data at the Gaskar Group production site was destroyed, including 10 TB of backup copies, as well as the production systems and all auxiliary systems.

The Ukrainian Cyber Alliance published some information taken from Gaskar Group, stating that "thousands of drones won’t be reaching the front lines anytime soon" because of the attack. This development comes at a critical time in the conflict, with Russia's military increasingly relying on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to wage war.

The use of UAVs in warfare is not new, but their deployment has taken on a more significant role in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The tiny, inexpensive drones have proven to be potent weapons, with conventional warplanes being relatively rare due to dense concentrations of anti-aircraft systems near front lines.

A Delicate Balance

Gaskar Group has reportedly denied that the cyberattack was effective, but the impact could be severe if it succeeds in disrupting the supply of drones to Russia's military. Disrupting this supply chain is vital to Ukraine's efforts to keep Putin and his forces at bay.

It would be a significant blow to Russia's military capabilities if BO Team and the Ukrainian Cyber Alliance were able to successfully disrupt the drone supply chain. The possibility of further attacks on other drone suppliers within Russia cannot be ruled out, making this situation a delicate one indeed.

A Shift in the War

The use of UAVs in warfare has become increasingly common in recent years. However, their deployment in the Russia-Ukraine conflict has taken on a new level of sophistication. With drones being used to destroy Russian warplanes and disrupt supply chains, the dynamics of the conflict are shifting.

Operation Spiderweb, which took place in June, saw Ukraine use drones to devastating effect against Russian forces. This attack demonstrated the potency of drones as a military tool, with CNN describing it as "one of Kyiv's most audacious and sophisticated counter assaults since the beginning of the war."

The role of drones in warfare is likely to continue to grow in the coming months and years. As such, efforts to disrupt drone supply chains will become increasingly important for countries looking to maintain an upper hand.