Reportedly, the order came before the widely reported Trump-Zelensky meeting at the White House.
Citing a high-ranking US official, several news outlets reported Monday that the Pentagon has put a stop to offensive cyber operations targeting Russia. Sources indicate the decision predates the tense exchange between Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky and President Donald Trump in the Oval Office last Friday.
Unnamed officials state that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth directed US Cyber Command to halt these activities in late February as Washington re-evaluates its relationship with Moscow.
The Record, a news source specializing in cybersecurity, initially reported this development on Friday. It clarified that the order does not affect signal intelligence gathering carried out by the National Security Agency, which is under the Department of Defense’s jurisdiction.
While specifics of the rollback are not public, sources suggest it is open-ended. Critics of Trump have described the action as a national security risk. CNN quoted an official calling it a “major blow” to the US’s capacity to penetrate Russian networks in the future, including those relevant to supporting Ukraine.
Russia considers the US a major cyber threat. Heightened tensions between the two countries in recent years have made it difficult to establish rules of engagement in cyberspace, despite repeated proposals from Moscow. The US has been a prominent actor in cyber warfare, as demonstrated by operations like the sabotage of Iranian uranium enrichment facilities during Barack Obama’s presidency.
Although attributing digital attacks is often difficult, US intelligence agencies sometimes confidently assert that hacker groups linked to countries like China and Russia are behind specific incidents.
US media outlets frequently emphasize stories about cyber threats from abroad, occasionally without strong evidence. A notable example is when MSNBC host Rachel Maddow, a vocal critic of Trump, warned her audience in January 2019 that Russia could “kill the power in Fargo today,” during a period of extreme cold in the US. Her statement appeared to allude to unsubstantiated claims from that month about Russian cyber intrusions into power grids in Vermont.
The Trump administration has expressed a desire to normalize relations with Russia after a period of hostility and limited communication under the previous administration of Joe Biden. Senior US officials contend that a “mature” foreign policy requires open and honest communication with rival nations.