“All the information was killed:” hackers wipe out Russian defense giant

Ukraine has paralyzed one of the biggest drone suppliers in Russia with cyber espionage.

Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR), in collaboration with members of the country’s cyber community, including the Ukrainian Cyber Alliance and VO Team, has successfully carried out a large-scale cyberattack on Gaskar Integration, one of the Russian Federation’s largest manufacturers of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

According to information shared via its official Telegram channel, sources within Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense claim that the attack has left the company’s operations completely paralyzed.

Gaskar Integration is considered a strategic supplier for Russia’s military drone program. The attack could be a direct blow to Russian drone production, deployment capabilities, and critical supply chains.

Scope of the attack

As reported, over 47 terabytes of technical information were accessed and exfiltrated, including sensitive drone production documentation.

Company servers were destroyed, along with 10TB of backup data, effectively erasing critical infrastructure. Internet access, accounting, and production systems were also rendered non-functional. According to claims on Telegram, one of the workers stated that "all the information was killed, there is nothing to restore."

The attack had an effect on the company’s facilities. Internal doors were locked remotely, forcing employees to evacuate through emergency exits.

Among the stolen data are employee records and classified technical information, which Ukrainian officials say has already been passed on to defense forces for analysis and potential use.

“We’re seeing a shift away from passive defense toward preemptive, asymmetric, digitally native warfare,” wrote Chris Kubecka, a hacker and cyberwarfare expert, on her LinkedIn.

“This wasn’t just about stealing blueprints. It was about making sure those blueprints can’t be used, and telling everyone watching that you’re capable of hitting supply chains at the source.”

Russia’s war in Ukraine quickly spilled into cyberspace after Moscow launched a full-scale invasion of the neighboring country in 2022. Both parties continue to exchange frequent attacks on each other’s infrastructure.