The Defence Intelligence of Ukraine infiltrated the Russian Federal Tax Service (FTS) – a significant blow to the aggressor state’s key institution.
The operation, executed by Ukrainian military intelligence officers, involved breaching the heavily fortified central server of the Russian Federal Tax Service, subsequently extending to over 2,300 regional servers across Russia, including the temporarily occupied Crimea.
Ukrainian Military Deploys Malware on Servers, IT Provider
During the special operation, malware was deployed, infecting all targeted servers, as reported by Ukraine’s official website. Simultaneously, the Russian IT company Office.ed-it.ru, responsible for servicing the FTS, fell victim to a similar attack.
The configuration files crucial for the operation of the extensive Russian taxation system were obliterated, destroying the entire database and its backup copies.
The aftermath of the cyber onslaught has left the FTS in disarray.
Communication between the central office in Moscow and the 2,300 territorial departments, as well as the connection between the Russian Federal Tax Service and Office.ed-it.ru, remains paralyzed.
Essentially, this marks the complete destruction of the infrastructure of one of Russia’s main state bodies and the loss of extensive tax data for an extended period.
The Ukrainian military intelligence now holds the reins of internet traffic for tax data across Russia.
Despite the Russians’ four-day-long attempts to restore the tax service’s functionality, experts predict that the paralysis of the Russian Federal Taxation Service will persist for at least a month. The complexity of the attack makes it nearly impossible to entirely revive the tax system of the aggressor state.
Continued Assault on Kremlin Regime
This recent cyber operation by the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine follows a pattern of successful attacks against key Russian agencies. Notably, the Ukrainian military intelligence recently targeted the Russian Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsia), gaining access to classified service data.
The cumulative impact highlights a serious blow to the Kremlin regime, temporarily stripping it of control over critical financial structures and tax administration.
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