Exclusive-Russian hackers seek war crimes evidence, Ukraine cyber chief says

Yurii Shchyhol, Head of the State Service of Special Communication and Information Protection of Ukraine, speaks during an interview with Reuters, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine September 22, 2023. REUTERS/Ivan Lyubysh-Kirdey

KYIV/LONDON (Reuters) - Russian spies are using hackers to target computer systems at law enforcement agencies in Ukraine in a bid to identify and obtain evidence related to alleged Russian war crimes, Ukraine's cyber defence chief told Reuters on Friday.

The hackers, working across Russia's foreign, domestic and military intelligence agencies, have stepped up digital intrusion campaigns targeting the Ukrainian Prosecutor General's office and departments documenting war crimes, said Yurii Shchyhol, head of the State Service of Special Communications and Information Protection of Ukraine (SSSCIP), which handles cyber defence in the embattled country.