The Cloud of War: How Russian Military Mobile Applications Exploit Western Tech in the War Against Ukraine

This study conducts an analysis of Russian mobile applications deployed in the ongoing war of aggression against Ukraine, focusing specifically on their dependency on Western cloud and IT infrastructure. The investigation involved acquiring APK files of various apps used in military and intelligence operations, revealing a staggering prevalence of Western technology in their architecture. Key findings indicate that these applications extensively utilize Western cloud services for data storage, media streaming, and access management, alongside the global DNS services, anti-DDoS, and cybersecurity solutions to secure communication channels and protect against cyberattacks. The study also uncovered significant reliance on global cloud service providers, which play a critical role in supporting the backend infrastructure of these apps. Furthermore, virtual private server (VPS) providers were identified as integral components in maintaining server operations and data processing for these war-related tools. This widespread adoption of Western technological resources in applications directly tied to the military efforts of a state engaged in an aggressive invasion raises profound ethical and strategic concerns. It highlights a paradox in which companies from democratic nations-often nations imposing sanctions against Russia-inadvertently support the technical backbone of Russia's military operations. The study calls for a reevaluation of the policies governing the use of these platforms in conflict zones, emphasizing the need for stricter regulations and greater accountability from tech giants.