"Russian Cyber Forces Capable of Rapidly Destroying Ukrainian Infrastructure"

Amid escalating military tensions surrounding Ukraine, on the 17th (local time), Russian and Belarusian Air Force Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jets conducted joint exercises in Belarusian airspace. Russia plans to carry out joint exercises named "Union Resolve 2022" at several training grounds in its ally Belarus until the 20th.

Russia possesses cyber capabilities that can destroy Ukraine's infrastructure within minutes, and there are claims that cyber attacks could precede an invasion of Ukraine.

James Lewis, Senior Vice President of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), said in an interview with the British media outlet The Times on the 17th (local time), "If Russia decides to invade Ukraine, the military intelligence agency, the Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU), will launch preemptive cyber attacks."

Russia carried out cyber attacks ahead of physical invasions during the 2008 invasion of Georgia, the 2014 annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula, and the armed conflict in Ukraine's eastern Donbas region.

He stated that preemptive cyber attacks are a principle, adding, "The fact that Russia has not yet launched such attacks is an optimistic sign, but they could start cyber attacks within minutes."

Vice President Lewis added, "Russia is the world's best at this type of warfare and has the advantage of having built all the networks and infrastructure within Ukraine. If Russia tries to cut off power across Ukraine, it could collapse all networks and cause massive chaos."

He explained that the recent cyber attacks on the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense website and two banks were primarily aimed at creating tension and anxiety.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.