German automotive and arms producer Rheinmetall has reported that its industrial division, especially catering to the automotive sector, has been impacted by a cyberattack on April 14, according to The Record, a news site by cybersecurity firm Recorded Future.
Investigation into the cyberattack's extent is still underway but Rheinmetall noted that its defense division was not affected by the intrusion. No threat operation has claimed responsibility for the Rheinmetall cyberattack but distributed denial-of-service attacks against the arms manufacturer have been pushed by Russian hacktivist group Killnet as the company began negotiations to build a tank factory in Ukraine.
Since the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine war, several contracts have been obtained by Rheinmetall to provide reconnaissance systems and ammunition to Ukraine. Ukraine's guns for its Leopard tank have been mainly supplied by Rheinmetall, which is also the country's source of in-demand 155mm caliber artillery shells.