China launched cyber-attacks on Ukrainian military and nuclear targets shortly before the Russian invasion, according to a report. The UK government confirmed that the National Cyber Security Centre is investigating the allegations, which claim that more than 600 websites, including Ukraine’s defense ministry, were subjected to thousands of hacking attempts coordinated by the Chinese government.
A UK government spokesperson said: “The National Cyber Security Centre is investigating these allegations with our international partners.” The claims are based on intelligence memos obtained by the Times. Ukraine’s security service, the SBU, alleges that China appears to have had advance notice of the invasion because the hacking attempts started before the end of the Winter Olympics in Beijing and peaked on 23 February, the day before Russia invaded its neighbor.
The agency added that China tried to hack several institutions, including Ukraine’s defense forces, the national bank, and the railway authority. The attacks were intended to steal data and find ways to disrupt or shut down the country’s defense and critical infrastructure, according to the report.
Ukrainian officials have also accused the Russians of targeting several Ukrainian government websites, including the parliament and the foreign affairs and defense ministries, in the weeks and days leading up to the invasion.
Although China hasn’t publicly declared its support or opposition to the war in Ukraine, some experts say that doesn’t mean it is not helping behind the scenes. However, the experts were quick to explain that the collaboration between the two countries is highly unlikely because the Chinese playbook in cyberspace tends to be different than Russia’s.
