Pentagon chief orders to curtail offensive cyber operations against Russia: NYT explains what's behind the decision

The head of the U.S. Department of Defense, Pete Hegseth, has allegedly ordered to stop offensive cyber operations against the aggressor country of Russia. Apparently, such actions are part of President Donald Trump's team's attempts to establish a dialog with the Kremlin.

This was reported by The New York Times. Speaking about the Pentagon's plan, the publication cites anonymous interlocutors, one of whom is a current and two are former officials.

According to the sources, Hughes ordered to stop American offensive cyber actions against Russia so that Washington could begin negotiating with Moscow to end the Russian-Ukrainian war.

The order allegedly came before Trump's meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House, which ended in scandal.

The specific scope and duration of the Pentagon chief's order is unclear. The NYT writes that, in general, maintaining access to Russian networks to obtain information is something that is important to the United States in any case to understand the intentions of dictator Putin in the context of possible negotiations.

According to the interlocutors, the abandonment of offensive cyber operations against Russia is a "risky gamble" for Washington. After all, they explain, it is not yet known whether Russia will stop its hybrid operations against the United States and European states, which the United States has also provided significant support in countering cyber interference.

As OBOZ.UA reported, the new US administration has continued the trend of sanctions pressure on Russia. The first company to be subjected to restrictive measures during Donald Trump's term was a Russian host that provided infrastructure for cyberattacks.

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