US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the US Cyber Command to cease all planning and offensive cyber operations against Russia, The Record reports.
The order does not apply to the National Security Agency (NSA) or its electronic intelligence operations against Russia, the sources said. But it marks a significant shift in U.S. policy, as Cyber Command has played a key role in monitoring and neutralizing Russian digital threats, especially after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The duration of Hegseth’s order is unknown, but sources said Cyber Command has been told the order will remain in effect for the foreseeable future. Cyber Command has already begun preparing a risk assessment report for Hegseth, detailing the impact of the order, listing the suspended operations, and assessing the ongoing threat from Russia.
The implications for Cyber Command personnel remain unclear. If the order applies only to offensive operations against Russia, it would affect hundreds of service members, including members of the U.S. Cyber National Mission Force and Cyber Mission Force, which together number 5,800. It is estimated that a quarter of the command’s offensive units are specifically focused on Russia.
However, if the restriction extends to intelligence gathering, analytics, or the development of new cyber capabilities, the impact would be much more far-reaching. Cyber Command has between 2,000 and 3,000 employees, not including NSA personnel and U.S. military units based at its base in Fort Meade, Maryland.
The Cyber Command press service declined to comment, referring the request to the Pentagon.
In response, a senior Defense Ministry official stated:
"Due to operational security concerns, we do not comment nor discuss cyber intelligence, plans, or operations. There is no greater priority to Secretary Hegseth than the safety of the Warfighter in all operations, to include the cyber domain."
In addition to domestic challenges, the order could disrupt some of Cyber Command's key missions, including operations to protect Ukraine's digital infrastructure. Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, Cyber Command has sent "hunt forward" units to Kyiv to help bolster Ukrainian cyber defenses and monitor Russian digital attacks.
Russia remains a major hub for cybercrime, with state and criminal groups regularly attacking targets around the world. U.S. Cyber Command has been a key player in countering these threats, including tracking hacking groups linked to Russian intelligence services.
The abandonment of active cyberoperational warfare could increase the risk of attacks on the U.S. private sector and international companies if Cyber Command no longer deters Russian cyberespionage operations.