'Joker DPR' Revealed to Aid Russian Objectives

The threat group 'Joker DPR' which emerged on October 21st, 2019, is identified as a Pro-Russian group gaining greater attention amid the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine. Analysis from the Insikt Group of Recorded Future Joker DPR, has been observed engaging in cyber activities aimed at accessing and releasing sensitive information from the Ukrainian government and military websites. Additionally, it has leveraged social media to spread anti-Ukrainian and pro-Russian propaganda. One of the group's most significant breaches came against DELTA, a battlefield management system (BMS) utilized by Ukraine's military for national defense. Although the extent of the breach is assessed to be overinflated by the hackers, it is an incident that adds to mounting evidence indicating that "Joker DPR’s activities are directed at amplifying Russian information operations in Ukraine," as assessed by Recorded Future.

"Joker DPR displays a deep distrust for mainstream media and official communications, believing information to be a powerful weapon. The group has described itself as having an obsessive focus on exposing corruption and wrongdoing — particularly within the Ukrainian military. To that end, Joker DPR frequently ridicules Ukrainian leadership, insinuating that the country’s resistance against Russian forces would be significantly less successful if not for Western financial, military, and intelligence support." Despite having such a strong stance against Ukraine, the threat group has managed to create a persona that appeals to Ukrainian audiences "with pro-Russian sympathies" and attracts "like-minded threat actors", in an effort to collect sensitive information that the group later releases. Joker DPR has garnered a significant number of followers on their Telegram channel with at least 247,000 subscribers, positioning themselves to potentially influence the mindsets of their target audience.