Pentagon Disputes Reports That US Has Stopped Offensive Cyberoperations Against Russia

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The Pentagon has denied reports from multiple news outlets, including us, that offensive cyber operations against Russia have stopped.

Some shit you should know before you read: Yesterday, we published an article citing multiple sources that claimed the US government had ordered a halt to offensive cyber operations against Russia. Our article stated: “While the Pentagon has not publicly explained the decision, officials have indicated that it’s part of a broader strategy by the Trump administration to improve relations with Russia and push for an end to the war in Ukraine.” We also highlighted how reliant Ukraine is on US cyber operations, with the US playing a critical role in strengthening Ukraine’s digital defenses against Russian attacks. Since the war began, the US has helped fend off Russian hacking attempts targeting Ukrainian military systems, government networks, and essential infrastructure.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth visits Joint Task Force North, U.S. Northern Command, to see the efforts military men and women are undertaking in support of U.S. Customs and Border Protection to secure the southern border at Fort Bliss, Texas, Feb. 12, 2025. U.S. Northern Command is working together with the Department of Homeland Security to augment U.S. Customs and Border Protection along the southern border with additional military forces. This initial deployment of 1,600 active-duty personnel brings the total military Title 10 forces along the border to nearly 4,000 personnel. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Andrew R. Sveen)

What’s going on now: The Pentagon is pushing back against these reports, denying that the US has halted offensive cyber operations against Russia. Officials specifically rejected claims that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued such a directive. In a statement posted by the Defense Department’s Rapid Response team on X, officials said: “TO BE CLEAR: [The defense secretary] has neither canceled nor delayed any cyber operations directed against malicious Russian targets, and there has been no stand-down order whatsoever from that priority.”

The initial reports resulted in outrage among Republican and Democratic lawmakers, with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer calling the alleged move a “critical strategic mistake.” He also accused the Trump administration of “giving Putin a free pass as Russia continues to launch cyber operations and ransomware attacks against critical American infrastructure.”