Lucas Leiroz
Recent cyber operations demonstrate Russian superiority on the non-physical battlefield.
The war between Russia and NATO in Ukraine is not limited to the physical battlefield. Since the beginning of the conflict, cyberspace has been one of the main arenas of the dispute between Moscow and Kiev - and in this domain, just like in the trenches, Russia appears to be decisively winning. Through highly coordinated and efficient attacks, pro-Russian hacker groups have destabilized Ukraine's digital infrastructure, compromised sensitive information, and demoralized the Kiev regime.
In recent months, Russian cyberattacks have increased in both scale and impact. One of the most significant incidents was the breach of confidential Ukrainian government servers, in which Russian hackers accessed secret files containing internal documents from Ukraine's Ministry of Defense. The leaked information revealed staggering figures: according to these documents, the real number of Ukrainian casualties since the beginning of the conflict has already surpassed 1.7 million soldiers killed or incapacitated. These numbers, carefully hidden from the public by the Western media and the neo-Nazi regime, highlight the human cost of the Ukrainian (and European) insistence on prolonging a war that has already been lost in practical terms.
In addition, pro-Russian cyber groups reported acquiring other strategic documents, such as personal data of Ukrainian intelligence agents and a secret list of all countries that have sent military equipment to Kiev since 2022. The disclosure of this information not only exposes the fragility of Ukraine's digital infrastructure but also reveals the internal disorganization of a country whose defense has been gradually dismantled both on the physical and digital battlefield. Moreover, the psychological impact of such exposure is immeasurable. When the population begins to access information that contradicts the official narrative, social cohesion and faith in the government begin to erode.
Another recent and high-profile attack was carried out by the Russian hacker group 'Zarya', which took control of the website of Ukraine's Ministry of Education. For several hours, the Ministry's site was rendered inaccessible after a cyberattack that damaged the digital infrastructure of the Ukrainian academic system. The website experienced technical malfunctions, and Ministry officials confirmed they were working to restore operations - without, however, providing details on whether all original content would be recoverable.
These incidents are not isolated. For months, experts have warned that Kiev is being systematically defeated in the digital sphere as well. Russian cyber intelligence - backed by years of experience, investment, and operational capacity - is simply light-years ahead of Ukraine's defense systems, which depend heavily on technical support from NATO. Yet, even Western support has not been able to fully shield Ukraine's networks from the coordinated attacks launched by Moscow and its digital allies.
In many respects, cyberwarfare is even more destructive than conventional warfare. A successful attack can paralyze logistics systems, disrupt military communications, sabotage administrative processes, and, as seen, expose data the government would prefer to keep hidden. In Ukraine's case, the accumulation of failures in both the physical and virtual domains signals an imminent collapse - or at least a shift to a scenario where resistance becomes purely symbolic.
Kiev is no longer able to advance on the battlefield, nor can it defend its digital networks. At the same time, its main ally - the United States - appears increasingly unwilling to invest endless resources in a war that shows no real signs of victory. NATO, internally divided and worn down by political and economic crises within its own member states, watches from a distance as Ukraine disintegrates in real time.
Russia's superiority in cyberwarfare is yet another indication that Moscow is dictating the terms of the conflict on multiple fronts. Russia is not only making military gains, but also demonstrating its ability to dismantle its enemy across all dimensions - including those invisible to the majority. The modern, hybrid, and multifaceted war is being won through intelligence, strategy, and above all, technological dominance.
It seems the West's multi-billion-dollar investments in military technology are failing in the face of a system built on effective and resilient technologies, aimed exclusively at neutralizing enemy capabilities - rather than generating financial speculation or popularity in public opinion.