Day 680 of the invasion of Ukraine. Summary of key events in the last 24 hours:

• Kyiv: We have no alternative to US support
• Belgium begins training Ukrainian pilots to pilot the F-16
• Russian hackers have been in the system of a Ukrainian mobile operator for months
• A 31-year-old Bulgarian man was killed at the front in Ukraine

Kyiv: We have no alternative to US support

Ukraine reported new Russian attacks in the Donetsk region.

At the same time, the White House announced that the continuation of military aid to Kyiv in the new year will depend on the approval of Congress.

Ukrainian authorities have warned that the country has no alternative to American support.

White House national security spokesman John Kirby said there could be no additional funding for Ukraine without a congressional decision, while stressing that the administration would do everything it could to ensure Kyiv gets the weapons it needs. A request for an additional 61 billion dollars to support Ukraine has been blocked by Congress, where Republicans have insisted it be combined with curbing increased migrant pressure along the Mexican border.

The Ukrainian foreign minister expressed his belief that the American Congress will approve the granting of aid to his country. "We have no plan B. We are confident in plan A," said Dmytro Kuleba.

In an interview with CNN, he emphasized that "what is being given to Ukraine is not charity. It is an investment in the defense of NATO and in the defense of the prosperity of the American people." In his view, those who assume that Russian President Vladimir Putin will never attack a NATO member state if he succeeds in Ukraine are making a huge mistake. He added that if Russia prevails in the conflict, other leaders will be tempted to follow in its footsteps and deterring them will come at a much higher cost to the United States.

Belgium begins training Ukrainian pilots to pilot the F-16

Belgian military pilots are leaving for Denmark, where they will train Ukrainian pilots to fly F-16 fighter jets, local media reported, citing the Belgian Ministry of Defense.

It is planned to send two Belgian fighter jets to Denmark, as well as a total of about 50 employees of the Belgian Ministry of War. The Ukrainian military will also be trained to maintain the aircraft it is expected to use against the Russian invasion of their country, the announcement states.

Belgium is part of the so-called “F-16 Coalition” of countries that will provide this type of fighter to Ukrainian forces for their future actions in repelling the invader. Denmark, the Netherlands and the United States lead the joint training mission for Ukrainian airmen. Training will also take place in Romania, Great Britain and the USA.

Ukraine is expected to receive fighters manufactured between 1980 and 1990. So far, six Ukrainian pilots have been trained to operate the F-16, the publications added.

Russian hackers have been in the system of a Ukrainian mobile operator for months

Russian hackers have been in the system of Ukrainian mobile operator Kyivstar since at least May last year after a cyber attack that should serve as a "big warning" to the West, a senior Ukrainian official in charge of cyber security told Reuters.

One of the biggest hacking attacks since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine nearly two years ago saw Ukraine's largest telecommunications operator shut down services for some 24 million users for several days starting on December 12.

In an interview with Reuters, Ilya Vityuk, the head of Ukraine's Security Service's cybersecurity department, detailed the cyberattack, which he said caused "catastrophic damage" and was aimed at inflicting a psychological blow and gathering intelligence.

"This attack is a strong message, a big warning not only for Ukraine, but also for the whole West, to understand that no one is actually untouchable," Vityuk said. He noted that Kyivstar is a wealthy private company that has invested heavily in cyber security.

The attack destroyed "almost everything," including thousands of virtual servers and computers, Vityuk said. He pointed out that this was probably the first example of a devastating cyber attack that "completely destroyed the core of a telecommunications operator".

During its investigation, the Security Service of Ukraine found that hackers probably tried to break into Kyivstar's system as early as March of last year or earlier, Vityuk said in the interview conducted on December 27 on the Zoom platform.

"At the moment we can say with certainty that they have been in the system since at least May 2023. I can't say since when they had ... full access, probably at least since November," Vityuk summarized.

The Security Service of Ukraine believes that with the level of access they had, the hackers were able to steal personal information, find out the location of phones, intercept text messages and possibly steal Telegram accounts, he said.

A spokesperson for Kyivstar said the company was working closely with the Security Service of Ukraine to investigate the attack and would take all necessary measures to prevent future risks. "There is no evidence of leakage of personal or user data," he added.

Vityuk said that within days, the Security Service of Ukraine helped Kyivstar restore its systems and prevent further cyberattacks.

"After the big breach, there were a series of new attempts to do more damage to the operator," he said.

Kyivstar is the largest of the three main Ukrainian operators, and about 1.1 million Ukrainians live in small towns or villages where other mobile operators do not have coverage, Vytyuk said.

People rushed to buy new SIM cards because of the attack, leading to long queues. ATMs using Kyivstar SIM cards for internet have stopped working, and the air-raid siren used during missile and drone attacks is not functioning properly in some regions, he said.

Vytiuk added that the cyber attack did not particularly affect the Ukrainian army, which does not rely on mobile operators, but uses "different algorithms and protocols".

"As for the interception of drones and missiles, fortunately no, the situation did not affect us greatly," he said.

Investigating the attack is more difficult due to the wipeout of Kyivstar's infrastructure. Vytyuk said he was "almost certain" it was carried out by Sandworm, a Russian cyber military intelligence unit involved in cyber attacks in Ukraine and around the world.

A year ago, Sandworm penetrated the system of a Ukrainian telecommunications operator, but was caught because the Security Service of Ukraine itself was on Russian systems, Vytyuk said, without naming the company.

This pattern of behavior suggests that telecom operators may remain a target for Russian hackers, he warned. According to him, last year the Security Service of Ukraine prevented more than 4,500 major cyberattacks against state bodies and critical infrastructure.

A 31-year-old Bulgarian man was killed at the front in Ukraine

A Bulgarian died in the fighting for Ukraine. His relatives spread the sad news on social networks.

"Hard news! Svetlio (Svetoslav Slavkov) has died in Ukraine. He died for his ideal, he died in the fight against evil, it is worthy when you give your life for what you believe in! You will never be forgotten, your sacrifice is not in vain, you will live forever in the hearts of all of us!", relatives wrote in his memory.

Svetoslav Slavkov was 31 years old from Sofia. He left in November 2023 to fight for Ukraine. He was enrolled as a volunteer in the 40th Separate Rifle Battalion "KODAK". People who know him claim that Svetoslav was a staunch nationalist and anti-communist.

Eternal glory to the hero!

Novinite remains the sole Bulgarian media outlet consistently delivering daily updates and key insights concerning the conflict. Our reporting commenced on the first day, 24th February 2022, and will persist until the conflict's resolution. Despite challenges, our independent journalism remains committed to offering precise, current news to our audience. We appreciate your ongoing support in staying informed! #stayinformed #WarInUkraine

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