Russian hackers tried to sabotage Ukrainian power grid - officials, researchers

FILE PHOTO: Building cranes and power lines connecting pylons of high-tension electricity are seen next to a construction site of new apartment blocks in Kyiv, Ukraine July 10, 2020. REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko/File Photo

LONDON (Reuters) - Russian hackers attempted to launch a destructive cyberattack on Ukraine's electricity grid last week, Ukrainian officials and cybersecurity researchers said on Tuesday.

The group, dubbed "Sandworm" by security researchers and previously tied to destructive cyberattacks attributed to Russia, deployed destructive and data-wiping malware on computers controlling high voltage substations in Ukraine, the Computer Emergency Response Team of Ukraine (CERT-UA) said in a statement on its website.