Russia carried out a cyberattack that took down satellite communications in Ukraine only hours before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began in late February, U.S. and European officials determined. The cyberattack hit ViaSat’s KA-SAT system, which provides high-speed satellite communications to Ukraine, disconnecting thousands of Ukrainians from the internet. The hack disrupted Ukraine’s ability to communicate with troops during the invasion, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated. The effects of the cyberattack spilled over into the broader region, interrupting satellite communications in the EU and affecting 5,800 wind turbines in Germany. U.S. officials suspect that Russia’s military intelligence agency, the GRU, carried out the cyberattack by hacking and sabotaging ground-based modems, which disrupted communication with the satellites.