IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - September 2023 - 46

Feature
between kinetic attacks and cyberattacks does not
make it a clear instance of Total War.
First Total War? Russia-Ukraine War
Given our reliance on, and the ubiquity of, computer
networks, the use of cyberoperations is a necessary,
but not sufficient, condition for contemporary
total warfare. A Total War requires the erasure of lines
between combatants and noncombatants in both
physical and cyber domains. Consequently, the annexation
of Crimea in 2014 and the invasion of Ukraine by
Russian forces on 24 February 2022 provide the clearest
instance of contemporary Total War. In addition to
the kinetic aspects of the Russian military action that
have led to both military and civilian casualties, there
is evidence that both Ukrainian and Russian citizens
have used autonomous weapon systems and cyberoperations
during the conflict. Here, I will primarily focus
on cyberoperations, referring to other aspects of the
actions of the belligerents when necessary.
Combatants, strategies, and tactics. Like the
Azerbaijan-Armenia conflict, UAVs have played
an important role in the ongoing conflict. Among
other weapons, Iranian drones were used by Russian
forces [55]. And, despite initial disruptions in their
use due to the limited capabilities of the drones in
cold weather [56], these issue were resolved and
the drones continued to be used [57]. In addition to
purpose-built military drones, there is also evidence
of innovation during the conflict. For instance, using
3-D printers, Ukrainians adapted Soviet-era RKG-3
antitank grenades by adding fins, allowing them to
be more accurate from a distance. These modified
weapons were deployed with octocopters to strike
Russian tanks (Figure 2).
Reports from the conflict illustrate that noncombatants
and civilian assets have been frequently
targeted by Russian forces with both kinetic attacks
[58] and cyberattacks. While attribution
make confidently identifying the source
issues
of an
attack difficult, numerous cyberattacks during the
conflict are aligned with Russian state interests.
Immediately preceding the use of conventional
weapons in Ukraine, malware labelled " Foxblade "
was also detected. During the ongoing conflict, Russian
cyberattacks also targeted nations supporting
Ukraine with ransomware-style attacks, for example,
the use of Prestige in Poland [59]. Ukrainian hackers
similarly targeted Russian (and Belarussian) assets
such as their central banks with DDoS attacks. Many
of these operations were conducted by " unofficial
groups " with the goal to disrupt everyday activities
rather than destruction [60]. The most notable was
the hacking of a state media outlet (Channel One)
on Victory Day6 with the hackers posting: " On your
hands is the blood of thousands of Ukrainians and
hundreds of murdered children. TV and authorities
are lying. No to war " [61].
Traditional methods of psychological warfare
Figure 2. R18 octocopter with modified
Soviet-era RKG-3 antitank grenade (white
arrow). Photo credit and permission by
Aerorozvidka.
46
(i.e., persuasive communication using both information
and disinformation) are also central to the conflict.
Russian state-sponsored media, RT (formerly,
Russia Today) and Sputnik, presented disinformation
concerning the war. Notably, references to the
conflict as a war were censored in favor of the term
" special military action " [62], with Russian news
sources falsely claiming pervasive Nazism in Ukraine
before the invasion, presumably providing justification
for the invasion to Russian citizens [63]. Ukrainians
have similarly used social media to raise and
maintain awareness of the conflict [64] with Ukrainian
Prime Minister Zelensky using these channels
and virtual communication with leaders and representatives
of other national governments including
Canada, Britain, and the United States. However, the
most jarring example of technology in information
warfare is the use of deepfakes of Ukrainian Prime
Minister Zelensky that requested that his soldiers
surrender [65], followed later by the attempt to use
deepfake filters in video calls with members of the
European Parliament [66].
6A Russian Holiday commemorating the defeat of Nazi Germany.
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IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - September 2023

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