Gamaredon & Turla: Joint APT Campaign Strikes Ukraine in 2025
In early 2025, a previously unseen collaboration between advanced persistent threat groups Gamaredon and Turla was discovered in Ukraine. Utilizing ESET telemetry, researchers identified co-compromises in which Gamaredon provided initial access using spearphishing and malicious PowerShell-based tools (such as PteroGraphin and PteroOdd), allowing Turla to deploy its exclusive Kazuar backdoor on select high-value targets. The attacks, attributed to Russian FSB-linked groups, targeted governmental entities and leveraged encrypted channels, PowerShell scripting, and multi-stage malware delivery via compromised web services and cloud platforms. Impact was mainly concentrated on the potential exfiltration of sensitive national intelligence. This incident underscores a growing trend of threat actor collaboration within nation-state cyber operations, blurring lines between operational roles and increasing attack efficiency. The overlapping TTPs and use of novel access and persistence mechanisms signal heightened complexity in the Eastern European threat landscape, demanding urgent operational and strategic defensive improvements.
Kill Chain