"Russia's Wartime Cyber Operations in Ukraine: Military Impacts, Influences, and Implications"
A paper from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (CEIP) 'Cyber Conflict in the Russia-Ukraine War' series examines the military effectiveness of Russia's wartime cyber operations in Ukraine, the reasons why these operations have not had a greater strategic impact, and the lessons that can be applied to other nations' military cyber efforts. It expands upon prior research by adopting a more systematic and comprehensive approach and including a broader range of publicly available data. Each Carnegie expert examined a different aspect of the cyber conflict. This study seeks to bridge the gap between cyber-specific and general military assessments of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Most analyses of Russian cyber activities in Ukraine have been released by cyber specialists writing for their own field, with limited incorporation of non-cyber military sources and concepts. In contrast, leading narratives of the war make little mention of cyber activities. The paper fills the void by situating Russian cyber operations in Ukraine within the context of Moscow's larger military objectives, campaigns, and kinetic activities. According to the paper, Russia's disruptive or damaging cyberattacks may have contributed to Moscow's initial invasion, but they have caused negligible harm to Ukrainian targets since then. Another point raised is that such cyberattacks have not significantly enhanced Russia's kinetic capabilities. This article continues to discuss some key points made in a new paper on Russia's wartime cyber operations in Ukraine.