‘Vulkan files’ leak reveals Putin’s global and domestic cyberwarfare tactics

• Documents leaked by whistleblower angry over Ukraine war

• Private Moscow consultancy bolstering Russian cyberwarfare

• Tools support hacking operations and attacks on infrastructure

• Documents linked to notorious Russian hacking group Sandworm

• Russian program aims to control internet and spread disinformation

The inconspicuous office is in Moscow’s north-eastern suburbs. A sign reads: “Business centre”. Nearby are modern residential blocks and a rambling old cemetery, home to ivy-covered war memorials. The area is where Peter the Great once trained his mighty army.

Inside the six-storey building, a new generation is helping Russian military operations. Its weapons are more advanced than those of Peter the Great’s era: not pikes and halberds, but hacking and disinformation tools.