Ukraine's military intelligence claims cyberattack on Russian strategic bomber maker

Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR) said it hacked into the internal systems of Russia’s major state-owned aircraft manufacturer Tupolev, days after Ukraine launched surprise drone assaults on Russian air bases.

The breach allegedly gave Ukrainian operatives access to over 4.4 gigabytes of sensitive data, including internal communications, personnel files, purchase records and notes from closed-door meetings. HUR is claiming to now have comprehensive information on individuals involved in servicing Russia’s fleet of strategic bombers, some of which have launched missiles at Ukrainian cities.

“There is nothing secret left in Tupolev's activities for Ukrainian intelligence,” HUR said in a statement to several local media, adding: “The result of the operation will be noticeable both on the ground and in the sky.”

The intelligence agency also said it had replaced the homepage of Tupolev’s website with an image of an owl clutching a Russian aircraft — a symbol widely associated with HUR’s cyber operations. The site was inaccessible at the time of reporting.

Recorded Future News could not independently verify the claims, and neither Tupolev nor Russian officials have commented publicly on the breach.

The announcement follows a major Ukrainian drone offensive last week that targeted four Russian air bases, reportedly damaging or destroying more than 40 long-range bombers, including Tu-95, Tu-22M3 and Tu-160 aircraft designed and manufactured by Tupolev. The drones were reportedly launched from mobile platforms hidden inside Russian territory.

A legacy of the Soviet aerospace industry, Tupolev has been under U.S. and Western sanctions since Russia's full-scale invasion began in 2022.