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Ukraine Hacks Top Russian Defense Lab Behind Missile and Laser Weapons Programs
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Ukraine’s military intelligence agency has hacked one of Russia’s leading defense research institutes, obtaining tens of gigabytes of classified internal data revealing details of the country’s missile, drone, and laser weapons programs.
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According to Ukraine’s Main Directorate of Intelligence (HUR) on July 7, the cyber operation targeted the M.F. Stelmakh Research Institute “Polyus,” a major Russian defense enterprise that specializes in laser technologies, inertial navigation systems, and quantum electronics.
HUR described the institute as a key component of Russia’s defense-industrial complex and part of the Rostec state corporation.
❗️Operation “Polyus” – GUR specialists obtained an array of classified data from a leading Russian research center
— MAKS 26 🇺🇦👀 (@Maks_NAFO_FELLA) July 7, 2026
Stelmakh Polyus Research Institute is one of the leading research and production centers of the aggressor state, specializes in high-tech developments — laser… pic.twitter.com/2Ksvowi1W9
The intelligence agency said the acquired archive includes internal correspondence, technical documentation, and management records from the institute’s leadership and engineering divisions.
According to HUR, the documents cover existing and future projects related to the production and modernization of precision-guided weapons, including missile and drone programs that incorporate foreign-made components despite international sanctions.
HUR said its analysis of the materials indicates that Russia’s defense industry has become increasingly dependent on Chinese suppliers for critical technologies. The agency stated that optical components manufactured by Chinese companies are used in the navigation and guidance systems of all operational-tactical Iskander missiles.
The intelligence service also said laser gyroscopes produced by the Tianjin Navigation Instrument Research Institute in China play an important role in the navigation, stabilization, and guidance systems used in multiple types of Russian missiles and drones.
According to HUR, the leaked documentation also provides details on Russia’s efforts to develop a laser-based counter-drone system. The agency said the project includes a targeting system designed to detect, track, and maintain focus on aerial targets, adding that experimental prototypes have already entered the testing phase in Russia’s Bryansk region.
HUR said the obtained database exposes production chains, identifies priority areas of Russia’s high-technology defense sector, and highlights vulnerabilities in the country’s military-industrial complex, including attempts to secure foreign components under sanctions.
The agency also stated that the archive contains personal information on engineers, designers, and other specialists involved in developing Russian weapons systems.
Earlier, Ukrainian cyber specialists obtained documents related to software used in the development and testing of Russia’s strategic nuclear forces, exposing research projects, contractors, and organizations linked to the country’s nuclear weapons infrastructure.
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