Pentagon Rejects Report Claiming U.S. Stopped Cyberattacks on Russia

The Pentagon denied reports that U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered an end to offensive cyber operations against Russia, Bloomberg reported on March 4.

According to sources cited by the publication, Hegseth has neither canceled nor delayed any cyber operations targeting Russian threats. The Pentagon also clarified that no orders were given to halt offensive actions against Moscow.

The controversy erupted after The Record, a cybersecurity news outlet, reported that Hegseth had allegedly instructed U.S. Cyber Command to halt all digital attack planning against Russia.

Although the Pentagon refused to directly comment on the initial report, it reiterated that Hegseth’s top priority remains the safety of U.S. troops.

The alleged order sparked fierce backlash from Democrats, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who accused the Trump administration of giving Russia a free hand in cyberspace.

“While Russia continues launching cyber operations and ransomware attacks against critical U.S. infrastructure, this administration is handing them a blank check,” Schumer said.

The U.S. Cyber Command, which oversees 135 cyber mission force teams, is responsible for defending U.S. networks and conducting offensive cyber operations. Units engaged in offensive actions are part of the Cyber Combat Mission Teams.

Earlier, Hegseth directed senior Pentagon and military leaders to draft plans for an 8% annual reduction in the defense budget over the next five years.