Ukraine has secured or blocked 40,000 surveillance cameras over Russian spying risks - WSJ

According to the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), the cameras posed potential security risks, including the possibility that Russian operatives could use them to identify military targets and assess the results of strikes.

The figure does not mean that all 40,000 cameras were confirmed to have been hacked or accessed by Russia.

In one case in 2024, Russian hackers gained control of surveillance cameras in residential buildings in Kyiv, including one installed by an apartment building association to monitor the surrounding neighborhood.

The SBU said Russian operatives intended to use the cameras to locate targets and assist missile attacks on the Ukrainian capital.

The Wall Street Journal also described how an international hacking group, Team OneFist, obtained footage from a camera in Russian-occupied Sevastopol, Crimea.

The footage reportedly helped the group identify Russian military aircraft and a previously unknown air base. The information was passed to Ukrainian forces, which subsequently struck the facility, damaging Russian aircraft and air defense systems.

The group also monitored cameras around the Kerch Bridge, identifying security measures installed beneath the structure to detect potential attacks from the water.

The threat extends beyond Ukraine. Dutch intelligence agencies warned in July that Russian hackers had targeted surveillance cameras across Europe to monitor military shipments and movements related to Ukraine.

Cybersecurity researchers at CloudSEK also discovered an unsecured server containing hundreds of webcam images of Ukrainian defense-related, government, energy and communications facilities, including locations near the Romanian border.