European Union accuses Russia of carrying out cyberattack against satellite networks before Ukraine invasion

The European Union has accused the Russian authorities of carrying out a cyberattack against a satellite network an hour before the invasion of Ukraine to pave the way for its assault.

It marked the first time the EU has formally blamed the Russian authorities for carrying out a cyberattack, the bloc’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said.

“The European Union and its Member States, together with its international partners, strongly condemn the malicious cyber activity conducted by the Russian Federation against Ukraine, which targeted the satellite KA-SAT network, operated by Viasat,” the 27-nation bloc said in a statement.

“The cyberattack took place one hour before Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022 thus facilitating the military aggression.”