The Power Within: The Kyiv Independent’s first-ever magazine. Be among the first to get it.

pre-order now
Skip to content
Edit post

Full restoration of state registries expected within weeks, Justice Ministry says after major cyberattack

by The Kyiv Independent news desk December 22, 2024 4:52 PM 1 min read
Participants attend 'Kyiv international cyber resilience forum 2024. Resilience at the Cyber War' in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Feb. 07, 2024. (Vladimir Shtanko/Anadolu via Getty Images)
This audio is created with AI assistance

The Justice Ministry has faced "serious challenges" after the largest cyberattack in months targeted state registries, but a full restoration is expected within two weeks, First Deputy Justice Minister Mykola Kucheryavenko said on Dec. 22.

In comments to the Kyiv Independent, Kucheryavenko said that the precise date of the full restoration of the registries would be more clear in the coming days.

"The aggressor's actions were aimed at destabilizing the work of the state registries," Kucheryavenko said. "The goals of the attack were not achieved."

The cyberattack targeted several government services on Dec. 19, including state registers overseen by the Justice Ministry, Justice Minister Olha Stefanishyna said. Officials say the cyberattack had been prepared for months. Ukraine launched a criminal investigation.

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) suggested on Dec. 20 Russia's military intelligence agency (GRU) could be behind the cyberattack on Ukraine's government services.

The former Justice Minister, Denys Maliuska, told Ukrainian media outlet Ukrainska Pravda that the majority of the information Russia stole was "already freely available," though closed a register were also affected.

"This is one of the most closed register where information is stored, in which there is no secret, it would seem — that someone was born or married," Maliuska told Ukrainska Pravda.

"But at the same time, there is a secret that is strictly protected by law — the secret of adoption," he added.

Kucheryavenko said that "preliminary estimates no information from the registries has been lost," adding that the ministry has backup copies of the data.

Behind the scenes of the fierce battles on the front line, both sides are fighting a cyberwarfare crucial to the war efforts.

News Feed

6:54 PM

Mariupol defender appointed commander of Azov Brigade amid military reform.

Following the start of Russia's full-scale war in 2022, Hrishenkov defended Mariupol, where he was injured. After 86 days of defending the encircled city under heavy Russian bombardment, he and about 2,500 other fighters left the Azovstal steel plant after Ukrainian commanders ordered the defending garrison to lay down their arms.
6:21 PM

4 days of hunting Russian drones.

The Kyiv Independent contributor Ignatius Ivlev-Yorke spent four days following an air defense unit guarding the skies over a region in eastern Ukraine, seeing how they live, work, and save civilians from the dozens of Russian drones flying toward Ukrainian cities each night.
MORE NEWS

Editors' Picks

Enter your email to subscribe
Please, enter correct email address
Subscribe
* indicates required
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required

Subscribe

* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Explaining Ukraine with Kate Tsurkan
* indicates required
Successfuly subscribed
Thank you for signing up for this newsletter. We’ve sent you a confirmation email.