Minister Warns That Russian Group Seeks to Destroy UK Critical Infrastructure

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UK Cabinet Office minister Oliver Dowden warned that Russian hackers organized along the lines of the paramilitary Wagner group are seeking “to disrupt or destroy” parts of the UK’s critical national infrastructure, saying that disclosing the threat is “not something we do lightly.”

Dowden will issue a national alert to key businesses amid growing international concern that as Russia struggles in Ukraine, an under-pressure Kremlin is searching for new ways to threaten the West.

He described the adversaries as “ideologically motivated, rather than financially motivated,” adding that they are less likely to show the same level of restraint as those directly employed by a nation-state, making the situation “particularly concerning.”

Dowden did not name any hacker groups, but the reference to Wagner, the sizeable paramilitary group playing an essential role on the ground in Ukraine, suggests the UK believes efforts are being made to organize the criminal groups…