SCADA Hacking: “Mysterious” Explosions and Fires at Russian Industrial Sites

Welcome back, my cyberwarrior heroes!

As I mentioned in my second interview with David Bombal, the second round of the Ukraine/Russia Cyberwar will involve SCADA/ICS hacking. Recently, Russia once again attempted to hack Ukraine’s electrical grid (it successfully turned out the lights in Ukraine in 2014 and 2015) but was stymied by a stiff cyber defense. At the same time, “mysterious” fires and explosions are taking place across Russia, many far from Ukrainian border. For me, these fires and explosions are not a mystery. In cyberwar, industrial plants can be both a target and a weapon.

Here is a map of these industrial fires and explosions.

In addition, here is a brief sampling of documentation of some of these fires and explosions at industrial sites

Moscow police station (April 21, 2022)

https://hindustannewshub.com/russia-ukraine-news/russian-regions-set-fire-to-military-registration-and-enlistment-offices-in-protest-against-war-the-moscow-times/

Research institute of the ministry of defense (April 21, 2022)

https://rferl.org/a/russia-fire-tver-defense-research/31815016.html

Moscow Oblast Governor Andrey Vorobyov’s mansion (April 23, 2022)

https://twitter.com/igorsushko/status/1517885222150303745

Bryansk military base (April 25, 2022)

https://kyivpost.com/ukraine-politics/fire-breaks-out-at-two-oil-storage-facilities-in-bryansk-where-russian-military-is-based-nearby.html

Transneft oil depots (April 25, 2022)

https://reuters.com/world/europe/l

Vorenszh Enlistment office (April 27, 2022)

https://themoscowtimes.com/2022/04/22/5-russian-enlistment-offices-hit-by-arson-attacks-reports-a77454

Millerovo military base (25 April, 2022)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millerovo_air_base_attack

Lukhovitsy enlistment office (April 21, 2022)

https://hindustannewshub.com/russia-ukraine-news/russian-regions-set-fire-to-military-registration-and-enlistment-offices-in-protest-against-war-the-moscow-times/

Russia Central research institute (April 25, 2022)

17 dead in Russian military research facility fire last week

https://www.washingtonpost.com › politics › 2022/04/25

Irkutsk police station (April 27, 2022)

https://kyivpost.com/eastern-europe/probably-not-by-accident-new-mystery-explosions-ammo-dump-fires-in-russia.html

Sakhalin coal plant (April 30, 2022)

https://tass.com/emergencies/1445779

Usserlysk military base (April 25. 2022)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1IoQF58dUY

Thanks in part to Project Hastings (@projhastings) for tracking these fires and explosions.