Russian intelligence has been revealed to have hacked online surveillance cameras in Kyiv to spy on air defense activities and critical infrastructure ahead of recent missile strikes, according to the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU).
The SSU stated that the Kremlin was able to gain remote control of two residential cameras in order to gather information for targeting critical infrastructure in Kyiv, likely including the large-scale missile attack that took place on Tuesday January 2, 2024.
One of the webcams was located on a balcony of a residential building, which locals had been using to monitor the surrounding area. Russian hackers were able to remotely access and control this camera, altering the settings and connecting the stream to YouTube to record visual information within the camera’s range.
The second online camera was located at a separate residential building in Kyiv and was used by residents to monitor the adjacent car park. The SSU reported that Russia remotely controlled this webcam to covertly record the view of the surrounding area, including critical infrastructure facilities.
The SSU has since dismantled the cameras after identifying their locations and stated, “The aggressor used these cameras to collect data to prepare and adjust strikes on Kyiv.”
Ukrainian citizens warned
The SSU has urged Ukrainian citizens who own surveillance cameras to stop online broadcasts from their devices and to report any detected streams on platforms like YouTube to the authorities. It warned that the publication of videos of the operation of defense forces is a criminal offense punishable by up to 12 years imprisonment.
The service also revealed that it has blocked around 10,000 online cameras that could be used to gather intelligence on Ukraine’s defense operations since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion in February 2022 and is working to neutralize other attempts by Russia to access online surveillance camera feeds.
The hacking of surveillance cameras to inform physical attacks is another example of how Russia is coordinating cyber with kinetic warfare to maximize the damage it causes.