WASHINGTON: The United States charged five Russian military officers on Thursday for allegedly conducting cyberattacks on civilian infrastructure in Ukraine ahead of the Russian invasion.
Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen said the members of Russia’s GRU military intelligence agency indicted in Maryland waged a cyber campaign against Ukraine known as “WhisperGate.”
“The WhisperGate campaign included the targeting of civilian infrastructure and Ukrainian computer systems wholly unrelated to the military or national defense,” Olsen said at a press conference in Baltimore.
FBI special agent William DelBagno said the WhisperGate malware attack in January 2022 “could be considered the first shot of the war.”
It was intended to cripple Ukraine’s government and critical infrastructure by targeting financial systems, agriculture, emergency services, health care and schools, DelBagno said.
Olsen said the cyber campaign was not restricted to Ukraine but also included attacks on computer systems in the United States and other NATO countries backing Ukraine.
A Russian civilian, Amin Timovich Stigal, 22, was indicted in Maryland in June on charges of conspiracy to hack into and destroy computer systems for his alleged involvement in WhisperGate.
Stigal and the five Russian GRU members remain at large and the State Department offered a combined $60 million reward for information leading to their arrest.
Stigal’s indictment accused him and members of the GRU of distributing WhisperGate malware to dozens of Ukrainian government agency computer systems ahead of the Russian invasion.
The Justice Department said WhisperGate was designed to look like ransomware but was really a “cyberweapon designed to completely destroy the target computer and related data.”
It said patient health records were exfiltrated from computer systems and websites were defaced to read: “Ukrainians! All information about you has become public, be afraid and expect the worst.”
The hacked data was also offered for sale on the Internet.
US Attorney Erek Barron said the indicted GRU officers were members of a subset of unit 29155 of the Russian Main Intelligence Directorate, which he described as “a military intelligence agency responsible for attempted deadly dirty tricks around the world.”
They were named in the indictment as Col. Yuriy Denisov, commanding officer of cyber operations for Unit 29155, and four lieutenants: Vladislav Borovkov, Denis Denisenko, Dmitriy Goloshubov and Nikolay Korchagin.
The unsealing of the indictment comes a day after the United States accused Russia’s state-funded news outlet RT of seeking to influence the 2024 US presidential election.
Attorney General Merrick Garland also announced the seizure of 32 Internet domains that were part of an alleged campaign “to secure Russia’s preferred outcome,” which US officials have said would be Donald Trump winning the November vote.
US charges five Russian military officers over Ukraine cyberattacks
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US charges five Russian military officers over Ukraine cyberattacks
- The members of Russia’s GRU military intelligence agency indicted in Maryland waged a cyber campaign against Ukraine known as “WhisperGate“
- FBI special agent William DelBagno said the WhisperGate malware attack in January 2022 “could be considered the first shot of the war“
Walt Disney executives to meet with Kimmel, assess talk show future, Bloomberg News reports
- The suspension of Kimmel’s show marked the latest action taken against media figures
Walt Disney executives will meet with suspended talk-show host Jimmy Kimmel to discuss the future of his program, Bloomberg News reported on Thursday, citing three people with knowledge of the matter.
The parties will discuss whether there is a way to return “Jimmy Kimmel Live” to the air, the report said.
Disney-owned ABC said on Wednesday it was pulling Kimmel’s show off the air over comments by the late-night show host about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
The suspension of Kimmel’s show marked the latest action taken against media figures, academic workers, teachers and corporate employees over their remarks about Kirk following his assassination.
Kimmel, who has frequently targeted US President Donald Trump on his late-night comedy show, drew fire for remarks he made about the killing in his monologue.
“We hit some new lows over the weekend, with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them, and doing everything they can to score political points from it,” Kimmel said.
His comments led to a response from Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr, who urged local broadcasters to stop airing “Jimmy Kimmel Live” on ABC.
Carr suggested that the commission could open an investigation and that broadcasters could potentially be fined or lose their licenses if there was a pattern of distorted comment.
Trump, during a state visit to Britain on Thursday, said Kimmel had been punished for saying “a horrible thing” about Kirk, a close political ally of the president who is credited with building support for Trump among young conservative voters.
Disney did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
US again vetoes UN Security Council resolution demanding permanent Gaza ceasefire
- It marks the 6th time the US has used its power of veto to block such a move since the war between Israel and Hamas began nearly 2 years ago
- The other 14 members of the council voted in favor of the resolution, which was tabled by its 10 elected members
NEW YORK: The US on Thursday vetoed a UN Security Council resolution that called for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, as well as the lifting of all restrictions on humanitarian aid deliveries to the enclave.
The draft resolution, tabled by the 10 elected members of the 15-member council, received 14 votes in favor. It was the sixth time since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas nearly two years ago that the US has used the power of veto it holds as one of the five permanent members of the council.
The veto was delivered by US representative Morgan Ortagus and the resolution therefore failed despite the near-unanimous support.
Washington has consistently argued that UN ceasefire resolutions risk undermining peace negotiations on the ground, as well as Israel’s ability to take action against Hamas and its “right to self-defense.” Critics accuse US authorities of shielding Israel from international accountability.
“Colleagues, US opposition to this resolution will come as no surprise,” Ortagus, a senior US policy adviser, said before the vote.
“It fails to condemn Hamas or recognize Israel’s right to defend itself, and it wrongly legitimizes the false narratives benefiting Hamas, which have sadly found currency in this council.”
Other council members “ignored” US warnings about the “unacceptable” language and instead adopted “performative action designed to draw a veto,” she added.
The text of the resolution expressed alarm at reports of a growing famine and worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, condemned the use of starvation as a weapon of war, and voiced concern over the expansion of Israeli military operations. It also reaffirmed obligations on states under the principles of international law, including the protection of civilians and the rejection of forced displacements.
It demanded three key measures: an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire agreement respected by all parties; the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages held by Hamas and other groups; and the lifting of all Israeli restrictions on the entry and distribution of humanitarian aid, alongside the restoration of essential services in Gaza. It asked the UN secretary-general to report back to the council within 30 days on implementation of the resolution.
Algeria, one of the leading proponents of the resolution, expressed dismay at another failure by the Security Council to act on the situation in Gaza, and apologized to Palestinians for not doing enough to save the lives of civilians.
The country’s ambassador to the UN, Amar Bendjama, said that despite the failure to pass the resolution, “14 courageous members of this Security Council raised their voice. They have acted with conscience and in the cause of the international public opinion.”
Trump wraps up UK state visit with gratitude for his hosts while largely sidestepping tough issues
- Trump’s abundance of kind words bestowed on the host country suggested that an all-out charm offensive by the royal family and British PM Keir Starmer had its desired effect
- Asked about Peter Mandelson during the news conference, Trump said only that he did not know the former ambassador, despite photographs showing the pair together in the Oval Office
AYLESBURY, England: President Donald Trump said Thursday that he was “tremendously thankful” for the pageantry and splendor lavished on him during his second state visit to the United Kingdom as he wrapped up a trip that largely sidestepped major public disagreements over difficult trade and geopolitical issues.
The mutual warmth, along with Trump’s abundance of kind words bestowed on the host country, suggested that an all-out charm offensive by the royal family and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer had its desired effect, even though there was a notable lack of progress on some key matters.
Trump’s helicopter carrying him to Stansted airport made an unscheduled landing at a local airfield due to what the White House called a “minor hydraulic issue.” No one was injured, and a backup took him to Stansted, where he boarded Air Force One and departed for Washington.
Trump and Starmer signed what both sides hailed as a historic agreement on science and technology, and they held a roundtable with global business leaders where they suggested the deal could mean significant job gains. Among the topics tackled mostly in private talks between Trump and Starmer were the wars in Ukraine and Gaza and US tariff rates on steel imported from Britain.
“The bond between our countries is like no other anywhere in the world,” Trump said at a news conference at Chequers, the 16th-century manor house northwest of London that serves as a rural retreat for British leaders. The US and UK, the American president said, have “done more good for the planet than any other nation in history.”
Joining in the bonhomie, Starmer said that “time and time again, it is British and American men and women, side by side, changing the path of history and turning it toward our values, toward freedom, democracy and the rule of law.”
The mutual admiration followed King Charles III and Queen Camilla’s feting of Trump and first lady Melania Trump at Windsor Castle on Wednesday with all the pomp the monarchy can muster, including the biggest military honor guard ever assembled for a state visit.
Trump called the king and queen “two fantastic people” and said he was” “tremendously thankful” and “grateful beyond words” for the hospitality.
Even high-profile points of dissent, such as Britain’s impending move to recognize a Palestinian state, stayed cordial. “I have a disagreement with the prime minister on that score,” Trump said, adding that “it’s one of our few disagreement, actually.”
When Trump was asked about his lack of progress in brokering a deal to end Moscow’s war in Ukraine and he acknowledged that Russian President Vladimir Putin has “let me down,” Starmer escalated the flattery a notch. The prime minister said he and Trump had discussed how to “decisively increase the pressure on Putin” and that Trump had “led the way here.”
There was disagreement, too, over immigration policy.
Trump urged Britain to take a harder line and insisted he had made clear to Starmer that when too many people enter illegally, it “destroys countries from within.” Still, when Starmer sharply criticized Hamas, Trump reached over from his podium and slapped the prime minister on the back in support.
‘Genuinely like each other’
At an earlier signing ceremony for the agreement meant to promote tech investment, Starmer referred to the Republican president as “my friend, our friend” and spoke of “leaders who respect each other and leaders who genuinely like each other.”
The Trumps’ final day in Britain began by bidding farewell to the king and queen at Windsor Castle and flying by helicopter to Chequers for more spectacle: a ceremonial honor guard with bagpipers, in a nod to Trump’s Scottish heritage, and a parachute demonstration. He also was shown the archive of wartime leader Winston Churchill, who coined the term “special relationship” for the bond between the allies.
It’s something Trump’s British hosts have stressed repeatedly, almost 250 years after that relationship endured a rocky start in 1776.
To coincide with the visit, Britain said US companies had pledged 150 billion pounds ($204 billion) in investment in the U.K, including 90 billion pounds ($122 billion) from investment firm Blackstone in the next decade. Investment will also flow the other way, including almost $30 billion by pharmaceutical firm GSK in the US
UK officials say the deal will bring thousands of jobs and billions in investment in artificial intelligence, quantum computing and nuclear energy. It includes a UK arm of Stargate, a Trump-backed AI infrastructure project led by OpenAI, and a host of AI data centers around the UK American companies are announcing 31 billion pounds ($42 billion) in investment in the UK’s AI sector, including $30 billion from Microsoft for products including Britain’s largest supercomputer.
British officials said they have not agreed to scrap a digital services tax or water down Internet regulation to get the deal, some details of which have yet to be announced.
There was less movement on tariffs.
In May, Starmer and Trump said they had agreed to reduce US tariffs on Britain’s key auto and aerospace industries. Talks on lowering duties on steel and aluminum to zero from their current level of 25 percent have stalled even with a promise four months ago of a settlement within weeks.
Few advancements on Ukraine, while Epstein is largely avoided.
The British government has grown increasingly critical of Israel’s conduct in Gaza and the suffering of Palestinian civilians. Starmer said the situation was “a humanitarian catastrophe” as he acknowledged a divide with the president on recognizing a Palestinian state.
While the prime minister has played a major part in European efforts to shore up US support for Ukraine, Trump’s visit offered few major advancements. Trump even insisted at one point, that the conflict “doesn’t affect the US”
The president has expressed frustration with Putin, but has not made good on threats to impose new sanctions on Russia. The king, in his state banquet speech Wednesday night, offered Trump a gentle nudge, noting “as tyranny once again threatens Europe, we and our allies stand together in support of Ukraine, to deter aggression and secure peace.”
It seemed like questions about Jeffrey Epstein would dog Trump throughout the trip, especially given that his visit began days after Starmer fired Britain’s ambassador to the US, Peter Mandelson, over the envoy’s past friendship with the convicted sex offender, who authorities say killed himself in 2019.
But Trump largely avoided the issue. Police did arrest four people over a stunt that saw an image of Trump and Jeffrey Epstein projected on a tower at Windsor Castle.
Asked about Mandelson during the news conference, Trump said only that he did not know the former ambassador, despite photographs showing the pair together in the Oval Office.
Death toll in Mexico gas truck blast rises to 21
- 27 people are still being treated in hospital.
- The truck’s tank ruptured in the crash, allowing the gas to escape and ignite
MEXICO CITY: Two more people have died of injuries sustained in a major gas truck explosion in Mexico City last week, bringing the death toll to 21, local authorities said Thursday.
The truck was carrying nearly 50,000 liters of fuel when it overturned and blew up while traveling through the city’s eastern Iztapalapa district.
Twenty-seven people are still being treated in hospital.
The truck’s tank ruptured in the crash, allowing the gas to escape and ignite.
Investigators say the accident was likely the result of speeding.
Mayor Clara Brugada has said that her administration will regulate the traffic of fuel trucks in the mega-city of 9.2 million people to try to prevent future tragedies.
Trump says trying to ‘get back’ Bagram air base from Afghanistan
- Donald Trump: ‘We’re trying to get it back, by the way, that could be a little breaking news. We’re trying to get it back because they need things from us’
- Trump: ‘One of the reasons we want the base is, as you know, it’s an hour away from where China makes its nuclear weapons’
CHEQUERS, United Kingdom: President Donald Trump said Thursday that he was working to “get back” the Bagram air base in Afghanistan, which the United States gave up control of shortly before the Taliban takeover of the country in 2021.
“We’re trying to get it back, by the way, that could be a little breaking news. We’re trying to get it back because they need things from us,” Trump said at a press conference with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
“We want that base back,” Trump said, adding that “one of the reasons we want the base is, as you know, it’s an hour away from where China makes its nuclear weapons.”
US officials did not immediately clarify what Trump meant when he said Washington was trying to get the base back.
Bagram, Afghanistan’s biggest air base, was the linchpin of US-led operations in the country for two decades after its operation to topple the Taliban following the September 11 attacks on Washington and New York.
But US and NATO troops pulled out of the base in July 2021 as the resurgent Taliban took over swathes of Afghanistan before finally taking control of the entire country.
Trump has repeatedly criticized the loss of the base since returning to power, linking it to his attacks on his predecessor Joe Biden’s handling of the US pullout from Afghanistan.
Trump has also complained about superpower rival China’s growing influence in Afghanistan.
