Russian hackers used Claude AI to target Ukraine

Anthropic, the developer of the Claude AI tool, has reported that hacking groups linked to Russian intelligence have used the AI to intensify cyberattacks against Ukrainian and Western institutions. The company disrupted several multi-victim campaigns over a six-month period that previously would have required highly skilled specialists to execute.

One identified actor, Midnight Blizzard, is described by Microsoft as a Russia-based threat actor attributed to the Foreign Intelligence Service of the Russian Federation. Anthropic noted that an operator using the handle ‘JackPoterz’ exhibited tradecraft consistent with Russian state-nexus espionage.

The operations targeted government ministries, defense and intelligence bodies, embassies, think tanks, and defense-industrial companies. While concentrated in Ukraine and Europe, the attacks also extended to maritime-related government agencies in Asia and the Middle East. Specific targets included the WhatsApp accounts of high-level officials and email services across more than two dozen Ukrainian government organizations, with a focus on military drone technology providers and supply chains.