GUR cyber strike: fuel cards, a telecom operator and dozens of websites went down in Russia
8 September 19:19
Cyber specialists of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine have carried out a powerful DDOS attack on a number of key Russian network resources, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
According to a source in the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, the operation began on the morning of September 7 and paralyzed the infrastructure that ensures online payments for fuel and the functioning of fuel cards in Russia.
Payment systems damaged
The main target of the attack was the Advanced Payment Systems platform, which serves the Rospetrol network. The servers of Rostelecom and Lukoil were also intermittently down .
According to the source, the losses to the Russian side amounted to between $1 million and $3 million.
A blow to telecom infrastructure
At the same time, intelligence officers launched a cyberattack on K-Corp, a telecommunications service provider. More than 700 switches and 13 servers in two data centers were disabled, which led to a complete shutdown of the operator’s operations.
K-Corp was targeted because of its cooperation with the Russian defense giant Kalashnikov Concern.
Dozens of websites with “congratulations” from the GUR
In addition to critical infrastructure, the attack affected dozens of online resources. On their main pages, hackers posted congratulations on the Day of Military Intelligence of Ukraine, symbolically demonstrating the capabilities of Ukrainian cyber forces.
Ukraine is systematically developing its cyber front as part of its defense against Russian aggression. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Ukrainian cyber specialists have been regularly conducting operations against Russian banking systems, government websites and defense enterprises. In 2023-2024, massive disruptions in the work of Russian banking services, the aviation industry, and postal operators were recorded several times.
For Ukraine, such actions have not only a tactical but also a strategic effect: they undermine Russia ‘s economic and military logistics, force the enemy to spend additional resources on restoring systems, and reduce Russians’ trust in public services.
Largest cyber operations of the GUR against Russia in the last two years
2024
January 2024 – attack on the Russian banking system
- Goal: to paralyze the online operations of Russian banks, including Sberbank and VTB.
- Consequences: temporary interruptions in payments and limited access to online banking services.
April 2024 – damage to the logistics infrastructure of Russian Post
- The attack targeted internal servers and cargo tracking systems.
- Consequences: delays in delivery and disruption of reporting on shipments.
July 2024 – energy monitoring systems are disabled
- The payment and accounting systems of Russian thermal power plants were affected.
- Effect: delays in financial settlements between companies and power outages at certain industrial sites.
November 2024 – DDOS attack on Russian government websites
- Targets: government portals and websites of federal agencies.
- Consequence: partial inaccessibility of information to citizens and restriction of internal communication.
2025
March 2025 – operation against fuel cards and telecom operator K-Corp
- Goal: to paralyze online fuel payments and limit the operation of telecommunications networks of defense companies.
- Result: losses to Russia of $1-3 million, shutdown of more than 700 switches and 13 servers.
May 2025 – attack on the cargo accounting systems of Russian Railways Logistics
- Goal: to complicate the supply of resources for the military needs of Russia.
- Consequence: delays in cargo transportation, disruption of internal logistics.
August 2025 – DDOS on the Advanced Payment Systems network and servers of Rostelecom and Lukoil
- Goal: disrupt financial flows in Russia, particularly in the energy sector.
- Effect: temporary blocking of payment platforms and shutdown of telecommunications networks of defense companies.
September 2025 – a large-scale attack on online resources and fuel cards in Russia
- Targets: payment systems, telecom operator K-Corp, dozens of online sites.
- Consequences: blocking of services, publication of congratulations on the Day of Military Intelligence of Ukraine on numerous resources, losses worth millions of dollars.
