KIEV (Reuters) - Ukraine has asked the FBI in the United States for help in investigating a suspected cyberattack by Russian military hackers on the energy company Burisma, a Ukrainian interior ministry official said on Thursday.
At the same briefing, the interior ministry also announced an investigation into the possible illegal surveillance of the then American ambassador to Kiev, Marie Yovanovitch, following messages contained in documents released by the U.S. Congress this week.
Burisma Holdings was at the center of attempts by U.S. President Donald Trump last July to persuade Ukrainian authorities to announce an investigation into Hunter Biden, son of Democratic U.S. presidential contender Joe Biden. Trump’s efforts have led to the Republican president being impeached on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
California-based cybersecurity company Area 1 Security on Monday identified the hacking of Burisma and linked it to Russia’s Main Directorate of Military Intelligence, or GRU.
The same hacking group, known as “Fancy Bear” or “APT28” by cybersecurity researchers, breached the Democratic National Committee in 2016 in what U.S. investigators described as part of an operation to disrupt that year’s election.
Russia’s defense ministry did not respond to a request for comment about Area 1 Security’s assertions.
“It is noted that the hacking attack was probably committed by the Russian special services,” Ukrainian interior ministry official Artem Minyailo said at a briefing.
Minyailo said Ukraine had asked the FBI and Area 1 Security for assistance regarding information that hackers stole personal employee data and emails from executives at Burisma and other companies. These other companies included the media production company of President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, he said.
Zelenskiy was a comedian and actor before going into poli ..
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