Pentagon chief orders US spies to halt work against Russian cyber threats
David Millward
Donald Trump’s Pentagon chief has ordered a halt to work to counter cyber threats from Russia.
Pete Hegseth’s instructions are part of a larger re-evaluation of all operations against Moscow, US officials said.
The order to Gen Timothy Haugh, the command chief, reflects the Trump administration’s decision to downplay threats from Russia.
Earlier in the week, Liesyl Franz, the deputy assistant secretary for international cyber space security at the department of state, highlighted China and Iran – but not Russia – as the major threat to US infrastructure.
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (Cisa) – which is part of the department of homeland security – also did not mention Russia in a memo.
Underpinning the moves is a tilt towards Moscow by the Trump administration, reversing the Biden administration’s policy of trying to isolate Russia following the Ukraine invasion.
Chuck Schumer, the Democrat’s leading senator, criticised Mr Trump for giving Vladimir Putin “a free pass” as Russia continues cyberattacks on US infrastructure, calling the administration’s move “a critical strategic mistake”.
Details emerged following a White House row between Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, and both Mr Trump and JD Vance, the vice-president. However, the order was issued before the Friday meeting between Mr Trump and Mr Zelensky.
American officials said Russia has been attempting to infiltrate US networks, starting in the early days of the Trump administration.
Whether Mr Hegseth’s instructions will extend beyond the few hundred people working on Russia at Cyber Command remains unclear. But it is feared the move could hinder support given to Ukraine to counter cyber threats from Russia.
Ransomware attacks on US hospitals, infrastructure, and cities have increased over the past year with many originating from Russia. Intelligence officials say these are mostly criminal acts, either approved or overlooked by Russian intelligence agencies
Mr Hegseth’s orders upend a warning given as recently as last September by several US government agencies including the FBI and the National Security Agency of systematic cyber attacks on the US.
The agencies accused the Russian General Staff Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) of orchestrating attacks “for the purposes of espionage, sabotage and reputational harm since at least 2020”.
Mr Hegseth’s stance also flies in the face of the assessment of other Western governments which have long warned of the cyber threat from both the Kremlin and criminal gangs operating from Russia.
The Trump administration has also already started rolling back efforts by the FBI and other agencies to warn about Russian propaganda. A Pentagon order will pause cyber command’s efforts to disrupt future Russian influence campaigns.
In Europe, Russian sabotage efforts, such as attempts to cut communication cables, mysterious explosions, and assassination plots, have intensified over the past year.
The US has, up until now, been key in supporting European nations through covert cyber operations, but this cooperation may be at risk following Mr Hegseth’s instructions.
Many of the operations are carried out by the British Government communications headquarters, the same intelligence agency that broke the Enigma codes during the Second World War.
In November, Pat McFadden, a member of Sir Keir Starmer’s Cabinet, warned that Vladimir Putin was capable of launching “destabilising and debilitating” electronic strike on the UK.
“In the UK, Russia has targeted our media, our telecoms, our political and democratic institutions and our energy infrastructure,” Mr McFadden, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster told a Nato cyber defence conference in London.
“Military hard power is one thing. But cyber war can be destabilising and debilitating.
“With a cyber attack, Russia can turn the lights off for millions of people. It can shut down the power grids. This is the hidden war Russia is waging with Ukraine.”
Last year, Qilin, a Russian criminal ransomware gang, was held responsible for an attack which crippled two NHS trusts. The gang, which Vladimir Putin is thought to have turned a blind eye to, threatened to expose patient data unless a fee was paid.
The Telegraph has approached Cyber Command for comment.