Russia hacked cameras on the border to spy on aid deliveries to Ukraine

The Russians gained access to surveillance cameras on the Ukrainian border to spy and prevent foreign aid from entering the country.

The Guardian reported on this, citing British intelligence sources.

This included hacking cameras at border crossings, railway stations, and near military facilities.

In addition, to gather information and gain access to systems, Russian intelligence sent phishing emails with pornographic content and fake professional information, and also used stolen passwords.

In response, the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), part of the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), urged private companies involved in assisting Ukraine to take immediate measures to protect themselves.

According to The Guardian, Russian special services gained access to about 10,000 CCTV cameras.

These cameras were located near military facilities and railway stations, allowing them to track the movement of cargo destined for Ukraine.

Geographically, 80% of the hacked cameras were located in Ukraine, with another 10% in Romania.

The media’s sources also reported that 4% of the cameras were located in Poland, 2.8% in Hungary, and 1.7% in Slovakia. The locations of the remaining cameras have not been disclosed.

It is noted that the Russians also made other attempts to collect confidential information about aid deliveries, in particular, they tried to obtain train schedules and transport waybills.

“In at least one instance, the actors attempted to use voice phishing to gain access to privileged accounts by impersonating IT staff,” according to the report, which covers data from 10 countries, including the US, France, and Germany.

In December 2024, Polish Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz said that 5,000 shipments had already been made to Ukraine via a large logistics hub near the Polish airport in Jasionka, near Rzeszów.