Russia cannot be deterred in cyberspace, it can only be exhausted – Head of the State Special Communications Service
Kyiv • UNN
The Head of the State Special Communications Service, Oleksandr Potii, stated that Russia can only be exhausted in cyberspace. Cyber operations have become an integral part of every combat action.
At the Cyber Commanders' Forum, held as part of the CyCon International Conference on Cyber Conflict in Tallinn, the Head of the State Service for Special Communications and Information Protection (SSSCIP), Major General Oleksandr Potii, presented a strategic vision of the role of cyber operations in modern warfare and international security. This was reported by the SSSCIP press service, according to UNN.
Details
Potii noted that the Ukrainian experience demonstrates that the cyber component has become an integral part of every operation on the front line. In 2024, no strike or special operation is planned without activities in cyberspace—from reconnaissance to battle damage assessment.
The Head of the SSSCIP emphasized that the Western concept of "cyber weapons on the shelf" is flawed. In this field, assets cannot be stockpiled for future use. "Cyber weapons are not a tool, an exploit, or a procedure. They are people—operators, analysts, engineers, planners—and the experience they acquire only through activity. This experience cannot be gained in exercises—only in real campaigns against a real enemy."
In particular, he emphasized that Russian cyber forces are directing their efforts both against Ukraine and against NATO and EU member states. Russian active measures in cyberspace are constant and systemic; therefore, classical approaches to deterrence do not work.
Russia cannot be deterred in cyberspace. It can only be exhausted. The task for the next decade is not to find a threat strong enough to force Russia to stop, but to ensure that campaigns on all fronts simultaneously cost more than Russia can afford to pay,