Lithuanian-led EU cyber forces are being used to support Ukraine
Lithuanian-led European Union (EU) Cyber Rapid Reaction Force is being used to support Ukraine, Deputy Minister of National Defense Margiris Abukevičius informed.
“In response to Ukraine’s request, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Estonia, Romania and Croatia are activating a cyber rapid reaction force, identifying the country’s authority with a cyber security challenge,” he wrote on Twitter on Tuesday.
Ukraine seems to be on the rise with recent cyber attacks. They are directed to government websites.
Among other things, on Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized the independence of the Moscow-backed separatist-run Donetsk and Luhansk regions, paving the way for the deployment of forces in Ukraine’s current “republics.”
In response to Ukraine’s request, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Estonia, Romania and Croatia are activating the Cyber Rapid Reaction Force.
The Cyber Rapid Reaction Force has been operating since 2019 and is led by Lithuania.
The Minister of National Defense Arvydas Anušauskas said on Tuesday that part of the forces of the participating countries’ experts will work remotely from their countries, the other part will go to Ukraine.
He claimed he could not yet provide more details on the role of the forces and the number of experts, as the decision to deploy them was still new.
The minister also warned that Russia’s attention to Ukraine at the moment “does not mean that Lithuania, for example, can be calm because of its cyber security.”
“This (to ensure cyber security – BNS) requires resources, not only the Ministry of National Defense or the National Cyber Security Center, but also the resources and efforts of all institutions that manage databases,” said A. Anušauskas.
According to him, the situation in Ukraine is an example that “this sector can be attacked very intensively”.
According to the Ministry of National Defense, the EU High-Speed Rapid Reaction Team, which is constantly on call, can be used, among other tasks, to deal with a major cyber crisis or, if necessary, to strengthen the defense of the EU institutions.