The US Department of Defense has ordered a stop of all cyber attacks against Russia, a new step in the context of the Trump administration pushing for negotiations to end the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
According to technology site The Record on March 2, this decision was made by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and was communicated to all relevant units by Major General Ryan Heritage, the incumbent CEO of the US Space Command (USCC) last week.
The USCC, established in 2009, is one of 11 unified combat commands of the US military. This unit is responsible for supervising and implementing the Ministry of National Defense's cyber operations, with significant autonomy over the National Security Service (NSA).
Hegseth's order appears to apply to all cyberattacks carried out by USCC's national task forces, as well as cyber warfare units of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Navy. The US European Command (US EC) was also affected. However, NSA is not within the scope of this command.
Although the specific scope and duration of the decision are not yet clear, the move is seen as a sign that the White House is making efforts to normalize relations with Russia.
In 2024, both Russia and the US will accuse each other of cyber attacks targeting government agencies. However, to reduce the risk of escalation, the US has transferred to Russia a list of 16 key infrastructure, including water systems and the energy sector, considering this a "red line" that Russia cannot violate.
Experts say that the two countries' clear division of the cybersecurity line is important, helping to limit the risk of a large-scale cyber conflict and prevent the possibility of escalating into a confrontation on the ground.
