On the night of 17 to 18 July 2025, there was a spectacular operation in cyberspace. Specialists of Ukrainian military intelligence HUR conducted a coordinated attack on Gazprom – a pillar of the Russian energy sector. The effects of this action can be felt for many weeks and the consequences, both technological and economic, can go far beyond Russia's borders.
Wide-scale cyber attack
Ukrainian HUR was to infiltrate Gazprom's IT systems and nearly 390 of its subsidiaries. Among them were strategical entities specified as Gazprom Teplo Energio, Gazprom Obl Energio and Gazprom Energio zaso. Backups were removed from the network and interior systems were blocked. Nearly 20,000 IT administrators lost access to key data and applications. peculiarly serious harm has been reported in server infrastructure – many machines have stopped operating after overwriting BIOS firmware, which means that physical intervention in data centers is necessary.
Hitting the heart of the Russian economy
Gazprom has for years been not only an energy giant, but besides 1 of the main sources of income of the Russian state. The attack aimed at its IT infrastructure hits straight the operational capabilities of this corp – from gas transmission management to method control to contract settlement. The failure of access to SCADA systems, which are liable for automated valve control and natural material flow, forced operators to control to manual mode. This not only importantly slows down work, but besides generates advanced costs and hazard of failure.
Cyberspace fresh conflict Field
The comments of Ukrainian intelligence representatives propose that the operation was part of a broader strategy. According to an anonymous HUR officer, “Russian systems are moving back to the hammer and pliers age.” specified communicative indicates that Kiev treats the war in cyberspace as seriously as kinetic activities. The attack on Gazprom was not an incidental – only a week earlier Ukrainian hacker groups hit Haskar Integration, a drone supplier for the Russian army, destroying dozens of terabytes of plan data.
Consequences for the gas market
Although the European Union reduced its dependence on Russian gas after the 2022 invasion, global markets reacted nervously. TTF gas contracts have increased volatility. Investors fear that further cyber attacks can destabilise the energy sector, triggering price increases, even if physical supply is not disrupted. Experts inform that perceived risks can affect the valuation of natural materials for weeks.
Geopolitical dimension of the attack
The intent of the cyber attack was a civilian entity, but its importance to the Russian military possible makes the strike fall within the grey area of global law. Gazprom finances a large part of the budget, which draws money to wage war. Moscow may recognise HUR as an escalation and respond counterattack – not only to Ukraine's infrastructure but besides to its allies.
The attack on Gazprom is simply a clear signal that the war is no longer confined to the front line. Ukraine effectively moves operations to the digital sphere, disorganizing the technological and economical facilities of the opponent. If the scale of harm is confirmed in the coming weeks, this could mean a serious weakening of the Russian economy. Regardless of further responses, 1 thing is certain – cyberwar becomes an integral part of modern armed conflicts.
