Ukraine Turns to Its Dark Web Heroes for Cyber Defense
Amid the bombardment of Ukrainian cities, a wildcard has emerged on hacker forums: volunteers, assemble! That’s right, the Ukrainian government is officially calling out its underground cyber crew to fend off cyber threats and sniff out Russian troop plans.
What the call-out looks like
The message, posted on the hot topic February 24th, read:
“Ukrainian cybercommunity! It’s time to get involved in the cyber defense of our country,”
and encouraged experts—whether they’re masters of malware or white‑hat savants—to submit their credentials via a Google Doc. Victims of the 2015 cyber‑attack that crippled 225,000 Ukrainians’ power supply are sleepless, so this mission is crucial.
Who’s behind the push?
Yegor Aushev, co‑founder of Kyiv‑based Cyber Unit Technologies, says he drafted the post when a senior Defense Ministry official reached out. Aushev’s firm has a track record of partnering with the government to defend critical infrastructure.
Another insider confirmed that the summons came straight from the Defense Ministry on a Thursday morning. The Ministry has been tight-lipped, and a Ukrainian defense attaché told Reuters he couldn’t confirm or deny Telegram claims.
How the volunteers will split up
- Defensive squad: Protecting essential services like power plants and water treatment plants. Think of it as digital trench warfare for the nation’s lifelines.
- Offensive squad: Conducting cyber‑espionage against Russian forces. These hackers will dig deep into the enemy’s digital footprints to get the intel needed to stay one step ahead.
Aushev says, “We have an army inside our country. We need to know what they are doing.”
Why this matters now
Just yesterday, researchers at ESET uncovered a nasty destructive software wreaking havoc across Ukraine—plaguing hundreds of computers, including government agencies and a financial institution. Suspicion? Naturally, it points to Russia, a company routinely accused of cyber‑attacks. Yet the Russian government has denied any involvement.
This late‑game push to establish a cyber military force comes after earlier statements that Ukraine had no dedicated cyber unit. According to Washington Post reports, “It’s our task to create them this year.” Aushev highlights that he’s already received hundreds of applicants, and is sifting through them to ensure none are Russian agents.
So while the war rages on the ground, there’s a high‑stakes cyber battlefield forming, and the Ukrainian government is unleashing the best in its digital underworld to protect the nation—one code line at a time.
