Cyber Incident Victim: Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine
Date:
Feb 2014
Location:
Ukraine
Summary
Hacktivists disrupted multiple Ukrainian websites with distributed denial-of-service attacks, targeting the Verkhovna Rada parliamentary site and nationalist group Right Sector's platform alongside Euromaidan protest support portals. The parliament's website was restored while others remained offline amid ongoing cyber operations linked to political tensions following the government's rejection of a European Union agreement. Attacks originated from both pro-opposition and pro-government actors, with some groups like Anonymous Ukraine leaking private correspondence from opposition leaders and political parties to undermine their positions during the civil unrest.
| CIA Posture | Motives | Tactics, Techniques & Procedures |
|---|---|---|
| Available to members | 1 motive | 1 technique |
| Threat Actor | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 1 actor | Available to members | Available to members |
Description
In late February 2014, hacktivist groups launched distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks against multiple Ukrainian websites, including the official site of the Verkhovna Rada (rada.gov.ua), Ukraine's parliament. The attacks also targeted the Right Sector nationalist movement's website (banderivets.org.ua) and several Euromaidan support platforms: maidansupport.com, maidanhelp.com.ua, helpmaidan.org.ua, and QHA news outlet (qha.com.ua). Cyber Guerilla, a hacktivist collective, publicly claimed responsibility for disrupting these sites through coordinated DDoS campaigns. The parliament's website was temporarily rendered inaccessible during the attacks but had been restored by the time of the article's publication on February 28, 2014. Other targeted sites, including those affiliated with the Right Sector and Euromaidan, remained offline. The Right Sector was described as a militant group with extremist views that played a prominent role in violent clashes with police during the protests.
These cyber attacks occurred against the backdrop of escalating Euromaidan demonstrations that began in November 2013 after President Viktor Yanukovych rejected a European Union association agreement. The protests intensified significantly, culminating in the deadliest violence on February 20, 2014, when 77 protesters were killed. Hacktivist activities polarized along political lines, with some groups supporting anti-government protesters while others backed Yanukovych's administration. Concurrent with the DDoS campaigns, Anonymous Ukraine leaked emails from regional offices of the Ukrainian Democratic Alliance for Reform (UDAR), the political party led by opposition figure Vitali Klitschko. They also disclosed Klitschko's private correspondence, revealing communications with an adviser to Lithuania's president. The website disruptions temporarily hampered information dissemination channels for both government institutions and protest organizers during a critical phase of the political crisis.