Ukrainian government sites and major banks hit by cyber attack

A cyber attack has hit the websites of Ukrainian government agencies and major banks, authorities said.

The attack, the latest of several hacking operations targeting Ukraine, came after weeks of escalating fears that Russia might invade its neighbouring country.

Moscow sent signals yesterday that it might be pulling back from the brink of an invasion, but western powers demanded proof.

At least 10 Ukrainian websites stopped working due to distributed denial-of-service (DDOS) attacks, including those of the defence ministry, foreign ministry, culture ministry and Ukraine’s two largest state banks.

Customers at Privatbank and Sberbank reported problems with payments and banking apps.

“There is no threat to depositors’ funds,” the Ukrainian information ministry’s centre for strategic communications and information security said in a statement.

The deputy minister, Victor Zhora, confirmed a cyber attack.

The ministry suggested Moscow could be behind yesterday’s incident.

“It is possible that the aggressor resorted to tactics of petty mischief, because his aggressive plans aren’t working,” the statement said.

In mid-january, Ukraine accused Russia of being behind a cyber attack that temporarily disabled about 70 government websites simultaneously.

During last month’s attack, a posted statement said Ukrainians should “be afraid and expect the worst”.

Russia launched one of the most devastating cyber attacks ever on Ukraine in 2017 with the Notpetya virus, causing more than 10 billion dollars in damage worldwide.

The virus, also disguised as ransomware, was a so-called “wiper” that scrubbed entire networks.

The US has accused Moscow publicly of preparing to invade Ukraine and underscored that cyber security remains a pivotal concern.

“It is possible that the aggressor resorted to tactics of petty mischief