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Ukraine is hit by a massive cyberattack that targeted government websites

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The Biden administration sent about $650 million worth of military equipment to Ukraine in 2021, the most transfers since the equipping program began in 2014, and has notified Congress of its intent to transfer Russian-made Mi-17 helicopters to Ukraine, White House pres secretary Jen Psaki told reporters Friday. The helicopters, originally intended for shipment to Afghanistan before the government collapsed, were in Ukraine for refit when the Taliban took over Kabul.

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The helicopters, originally intended for shipment to Afghanistan before the government collapsed, were in Ukraine for refit when the Taliban took over Kabul.

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As tensions rise in the standoff over Ukraine, the Department of Homeland Security has warned that the U.S. response to a possible Russian invasion could result in a cyberattack launched against the U.S. by the Russian government or its proxies.

"We assess that Russia would consider initiating a cyber attack against the Homeland if it perceived a US or NATO response to a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine threatened its long-term national security," a DHS Intelligence and Analysis bulletin sent to law enforcement agencies around the country and obtained by ABC News said.

The bulletin was dated Jan. 23, 2022.

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The US is considering restricting the flow of semiconductors into Russia to deter Russian President Vladimir Putin from invading Ukraine. The move would prevent the Russian military and much of the nation’s economy from advancing technologically.

The details of the sanctions are still being decided, but they would rely on similar restrictions that kneecapped Huawei, the Chinese tech company. Though most semiconductors are made overseas, US companies control huge swaths of the larger market, from chip design and manufacturing equipment to process and quality control. By restricting access to those companies' products and services, the US can effectively limit Russian access to the latest chips, even if they’re made in other countries.

“It’s one of the tools that the US has come to prefer because it’s painful, but it doesn’t involve the use of force,” James Andrew Lewis, senior vice president and director of the Strategic Technologies Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told Ars. “It sort of freezes Russia at a technological moment.”

Though most of the restrictions will likely focus on companies that supply Russia’s military, either directly or indirectly, one place where consumers could feel the pinch is mobile phone service. If implemented, the restrictions would “box the Russians out of the 5G market,” Lewis said.