Science and technology | Cyber-warfare

Russian hackers are preparing for a new campaign in Ukraine

A spring cyber-offensive is about to be unleashed

DONBAS, UKRAINE - FEBRUARY 20: Ukrainian frontline paramedic "Kava" uses a Starlink internet connection in a basement living quarters as Russian shells nearby above ground on February 20, 2023 in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine. She and fellow paramedics, volunteering for Hospitallers, live in hidden locations close to the fighting, providing additional manpower and resources for evacuations to the military, which is often stretched thin. Hospitallers is a Ukrainian voluntary organization of doctors and paramedics who treat and evacuate soldiers from the battlefield. The group has more than 500 volunteers who work in two-week shifts as emergency responders. The organization relies on donations, both domestic and international, to fund the vast operation, including purchasing medical supplies and supporting the logistical needs of staff operating 32 ambulances and 76 pickup trucks, most in the war-torn Donbas region of eastern Ukraine. The volunteer paramedics come from a wide array of professions prior to joining Hospitallers and going through medical training. All are driven by the need to help in the war effort and relieve suffering of wounded Ukrainian soldiers. "Kava" which means coffee in Ukrainian, previously owned a coffee shop in Severodonetsk, which now is in Russian occupied Ukraine. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)
Image: Getty Images

Russia’s cyber-offensive last year was fast, furious—and underwhelming. In it, hackers conducted perhaps the largest ever assault on computer networks. Ukraine, well-prepared and supported by foreign tech companies and allies, parried many of these blows, keeping communications and crucial government services online against all expectations. But the cyberwar, like the physical one, is evolving.

This article appeared in the Science & technology section of the print edition under the headline "The spring cyber-offensive"

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