On the eve of the deadline for submitting applications to participate in the competition for the selection of a manager for the assets controlled by Russian sanctioned oligarch Mikhail Fridman – August 22 – ARMA servers were subjected to unauthorized interference bearing signs of a hacker attack.

“The Russian oligarchic capital has, over the years of its presence in Ukraine, developed a sufficient number of people willing to serve its interests within our state.

Since the spring of this year, we have begun to record signs of unlawful interference in processes related to the Agency’s work, including unauthorized access to the Register of ARMA officials. A broader investigation into these facts has been launched by NABU, while the circumstances of the latest events, including the hacker attack, are being investigated by the SSU.

Our specialists and law enforcement agencies are analyzing not only the very fact of the cyberattack, but also the sequence of events surrounding the IDS Ukraine competition. We see a troubling synchronicity. Something similar had already occurred this spring, when the Reuters news agency reported on a cyberattack: attempts to interfere with and breach systems were accompanied by waves of information activity, as well as an increase in inquiries from certain media outlets and members of parliament.

Each of these episodes individually may have its own explanation. But their combination and synchronicity raise a question that the investigation must answer: are we dealing with a coordinated campaign aimed at paralyzing the Agency’s work, creating artificial pressure and attempting to disrupt or discredit the competition for the selection of a manager for a strategic asset?

ARMA is an independent and autonomous state authority and is guided exclusively by the law and the interests of Ukraine, rather than the interests of private individuals or business groups. Therefore, any attempts to unlawfully influence the Agency’s work will receive a strong legal response.

The investigation will be brought to its conclusion. The final conclusions regarding the organizers, masterminds and perpetrators of the attack must be established by the investigation.

But neither cyberattacks, nor information campaigns, nor political pressure will force ARMA to retreat from enforcing the law”, Acting Head of ARMA Yaroslava Maksymenko said.

The competition for the selection of a manager for the IDS Ukraine assets will take place within the timeframe and in accordance with the procedures established by law.

Attempts at external interference will not affect the conduct of the competition.