Oct 23 (Reuters) – Russia is attacking Ukraine’s digital infrastructure with the same intensity as its embattled power grid, Kyiv’s prime minister said on Friday, calling on government agencies to quickly form cybersecurity teams.
In a statement, Sergiy Koretskyi said Russia had struck 10 data centres in the capital Kyiv last month alone, and warned that AI-aided cyberattacks on state information systems and businesses were also on the rise.
“Russia is attacking our digital infrastructure as systematically as it is attacking our energy sector,” he said.
“Key digital agencies are already able to repel attacks using AI,” he added. “I expect the same readiness from every state agency and institution.”
Moscow’s forces have begun battering Ukrainian energy infrastructure ahead of winter, after a summer campaign of expanding Russian strikes on logistics, businesses and data centres.
Ukraine has also extended its strikes from Russia’s energy industry to include e-commerce giants.
Russia’s mounting attacks on Ukraine come as Kyiv struggles to repel the ballistic missiles and jet-powered drones used in those attacks, amid a shortage of air-defence weapons.
Some of Kyiv’s defensive and battlefield capabilities have also been hampered by recent restrictions on its use of the US-based Starshield satellite internet service.
(Reporting by Dan Peleschuk; Editing by Aidan Lewis)
