The lack of access to certain state registers due to a Russian cyberattack is adversely affecting banks' ability to open new accounts and issue loans, reported the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) in response to a request from the Interfax-Ukraine news agency on Friday evening.
"The cyberattack did not impact the operations of the National Bank. All information systems of the National Bank were operational and continue to function normally. However, the unavailability of certain state registers is affecting the banks' operations, particularly regarding the opening of new accounts and the issuance of new loans," the regulator informed.
The NBU reminded that at the beginning of the large-scale invasion, state registers were also inaccessible, which led the central bank to provide the banking system with guidance on how to open accounts under such conditions, which the banking system adhered to until mid-June 2022.
"Currently, a similar letter is being prepared for the banking system," the central bank announced.
As reported, the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine stated on December 19 about a large-scale failure at the network infrastructure level servicing the state registers.
Later, Deputy Prime Minister Olga Stefanishyna stated that the Russian Federation had launched a cyberattack on the state registers under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Justice, aimed at disrupting critical infrastructure operations, which have been temporarily suspended. She noted that the estimated time for priority recovery will be up to two weeks. According to her, the first to be restored will be the State Register of Civil Status Acts, the Unified State Register of Legal Entities and Individual Entrepreneurs, and the State Register of Rights to Real Estate and Their Encumbrances.