Ukraine ambassador asks South Korea for help against Russian cyberattacks

SEOUL, Feb. 25 (UPI) -- Ukrainian Ambassador to South Korea Dmytro Ponomarenko on Friday called for Seoul to use its technological expertise to help Ukraine defend against further cyberattacks from Russia.

The call for help came after a number of Ukrainian government websites were targeted by hackers. The attacks began on Wednesday before Russian forces invaded Ukraine and continued into Thursday.

"We would also be grateful if the Republic of Korea, being a highly developed hi-tech country, gave us a hand in strengthening our cybersecurity capabilities," Ponomarenko said at a press conference attended by embassy officials from several countries in Seoul, according to Yonhap. The Republic of Korea is South Korea's official name.

On Thursday, cybersecurity firm ESET reported that cyberattacks by a new data-wiping malware had struck computers in hundreds of organizations in Ukraine. That assault came after waves of distributed denial of service attacks knocked key government and bank websites offline as Russia began its invasion.

President Joe Biden said at the White House on Thursday that the United States was ready for Russian cyber warfare.

"If Russia pursues cyberattacks against our companies, our critical infrastructure, we are prepared to respond," Biden said. "For months, we have been working closely with the private sector to harden their cyber defenses [and] sharpen our ability to respond to Russian cyberattacks as well."

The Japanese government also warned of the threat of cyberattacks in retaliation for sanctions against Russia, as the country's Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno urged domestic companies and organizations to be on their guard, according to The Mainichi.

Ponomarenko thanked South Korean President Moon Jae-in for speaking out in support of Ukraine and joining international sanctions efforts against Russia. Moon said Thursday that the "sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of Ukraine must be guaranteed."

"The Republic of Korea, as a responsible member of the international community, will support and participate in the efforts of the international community, including economic sanctions, to deter armed aggression and resolve the situation peacefully," Moon said, in remarks reported by his spokesperson.

South Korea has not announced unilateral sanctions against Russia.

The Ukrainian envoy also said Friday that his country needed military assistance ranging from weapons to fuel to protective gear in order to "counter the biggest army in the continent."

u