Ukraine Hacks Russian Bomber Maker Tupolev, Steals Secret Data

In a major cyberattack, Ukraine’s Military Intelligence (HUR) has hacked into Russia’s top aircraft maker, Tupolev, and stolen over 4.4 gigabytes of sensitive data. Tupolev is part of the United Aircraft Company (UAC) and plays a key role in designing Russia’s strategic bombers, including those used in the war against Ukraine.

According to a Ukrainian intelligence source who spoke to Kyiv Post on June 4, the breach has left Tupolev with “virtually no secrets” from Ukrainian intelligence.

“We now have detailed information about the people and systems behind Russia’s strategic air power,” the source said. “This will impact Russia both on the ground and in the skies.”

The cyber unit had been silently monitoring Tupolev’s internal systems for a long time, watching how documents and data moved within the company. This allowed Ukrainian operatives to collect not just technical information, but also intelligence that could help plan future attacks on Russia’s defense sector.

As a final move, Ukrainian hackers defaced Tupolev’s official website, replacing its homepage with an image of an owl holding a Russian warplane in its claws—clearly sending a message.

Tupolev has been under international sanctions since 2022 for its role in supporting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. This latest hack is part of a broader effort by HUR to weaken Russia’s military-industrial complex. In recent months, Ukrainian cyber teams have also targeted other companies tied to weapons, aviation, and military logistics.

This operation marks one of Ukraine’s biggest cyber strikes so far, hitting at the heart of Russia’s war machine.