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In its July cover story, Wired magazine takes an in-depth look at ayears-long string of cyberattacks in Ukraine that could have global implications. It has undermined every sector including the media, military, politics and even people's homes.

Andy Greenberg, who reported the story, and Wired editor-in-chief Nicholas Thompson joined "CBS This Morning" to discuss the findings and what the implications could be for the United States.

The Russian attacks on Ukraine's power grid were extensive. In 2015, electricity was cut to nearly a quarter-million Ukrainians, and about a year later a transmission station was taken down, revealing the attacks were becoming more sophisticated.

"There's a disturbing progression happening," Greenberg said.

The reason, according to Greenberg, was Russia's desire to destabilize Ukraine. What he finds even more worrisome, though, is that the Russians seem to be using Ukraine as a place to test-run their methods.

"The really disturbing thing is that they're also using Ukraine as a testing ground for attacks that they're honing to possibly use against Western Europe or the United States in the future," Greenberg said.

Thompson said they saw the hacks happening and decided to send Greenberg on a reporting trip to Ukraine, knowing it would likely be a scary story. But what he found was even worse.

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In his new book, "Lights Out," veteran journalist Ted Koppel paints a grim picture of a paralyzing power outage in the form of an all-out cyberat...

"Andy goes to the Ukraine, he reports it. And it's actually scarier than we thought because it turns out they're not only doing all these terrible things they're not only shutting down the power grid, they're not only shutting down the railway stations. It looks like they're kind of planning to come after us," Thompson said.

According to Greenberg, U.S. power grids are more secure than Ukraine's, but the U.S. does have another type of vulnerability.

"It's probably harder to take down our grid, but it might be easier to keep it down for a longer period of time," Greenberg said.

Thompson said the aim of the Wired article is to help make the case for what the U.S. should be paying close attention to. Greenberg pointed out that Russia isn't the only one with the capabilities to carry out such attacks, but it might be the most likely.

"All of the most powerful nations in the world U.S., Russia, China probably have the ability to take down each other's power grids and infrastructure, but the scary thing is that Russia is brazen enough to actually do these things," Greenberg said. "There's a kind of boldness in the Putin regime that should scare everyone."

In the article, Greenberg makes the argument that despite the extent of the Ukraine attacks, Russia's capabilities could have allowed them to do even more damage.

"In the second of these two power grid attacks, they only took the power down for one hour but they used an incredibly sophisticated, new piece of malicious software that automated the whole attack," Greenberg explained. What does that mean? "They have a reusable, adaptable weapon that they're going to want to use again," he said.

Asked whether the responsibility for addressing the threat falls more to the government or the private sector, Thompson said it requires the cooperation of both. "If you work at a power grid you can't just rely on the federal government."

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Was Russian hacking of Ukraine's power grid a test run for U.S. ... - CBS News

MENA, Ukraine | The newspaper in this northeastern Ukrainian city, about 35 miles from the Russian border, is named Nashe Slovo, which means Our Word in Ukrainian.

We journalists naturally focus on the word part of that, but in Mena, now, the issue is the definition of our. Who really owns or controls the words?

Does that plural possessive refer to the people of Mena, or the staff of the newspaper, or the official owners, or elected officials?

The answer makes you think about why you trust your own Florida Times-Union and understand why two of us came to Ukraine as volunteers to help the newspaper as it earns its independence and, hopefully, survival.

When Nashe Slovo was founded in 1931 during the Soviet era, nashe meant the local commissars or bureaucrats who controlled every word and naturally used it for propaganda Pravda on the local level.

When Ukraine declared its independence from the crumbling Soviet Union in 1991, the new constitution provided that such newspapers would be owned by three co-founders: the district administrator (delegated from the president of Ukraine), the elected district council (like a county commission) and the staff of the newspaper.

You can imagine how well that worked. Oleksandr Nazarenko, chief editor of Nashe Slovo, acknowledged, through a translator, that newspapers tended to be propaganda instruments of the government or the state.

As democracy took root and evolved in Ukraine and the 2014 Revolution of Dignity rejected Russian ties in favor of a closer relationship with the European Union, the National Union of Journalists persuaded the Ukrainian Parliament to enact a three-year process for privatizing liberating the government-controlled press.

Oligarchs have bought control of much of the national media, causing new credibility problems, and at the district level, council members are dragging their feet as much and for as long as they can, still wielding a degree of control that politicians value.

They represent political parties, Nazarenko said, and they would like to keep, as long as possible, the printed media as an instrument of power, to help them during the next election.

But some local newspapers like Nashe Slovo are pushing ahead, trying to figure out their future on their own, without reliance on free rent and government subsidies, which can be up to 80 percent of revenue. As an early statement of independence, Nazarenko has refused the subsidy for the past 10 years but says the paper still is a little profitable.

Mena, a city of 12,000 people in an agricultural region of about 36,000, is notable for two things: historically, as the site of Nazi murders of many of its Jews and, now, as the improbable site for a popular zoo.

Nashe Slovo is the dominant source of news and information, with circulation of 7,470, reaching about half the households in the city. Its staff of 11 works in a small, 80-year-old building that, for now, continues to be rent-free. The expansive and gloriously blooming flower garden out front could be hopefully is a metaphor for the newspaper.

IREX, an international nonprofit that works on democratic development around the world, invited Marc Jenkins, digital media sales director for T-U Media, and me to come here and work with the staff for three days. In August, some of them will visit and observe the T-U.

Nashe Slovo was named the best local newspaper in Ukraine in 2012, but IREX said its problems include the loss of subscribers and advertisers in a worsening economy as Ukraine remains on war footing against the Russian incursion in the east. An estimated 10,000 Ukrainians have been killed there so far.

As it faces the free market, Nashe Slovo wants to improve its local reporting, ad sales, website and management practices.

While Marc worked in one room with the advertising and business-side staff, I met with Nazarenko and the reporters on a porch. As we huddled around a laptop, I presented my definitions of local news and advice on writing styles, reader orientation and creativity. They were eager to hear, as there is very little journalism education or training available in Ukraine.

I offered the T-Us concept of being sure to include positive news alongside the negative. I was humbled at Nashe Slovos heart-wrenching example: the resettlers, or refugees, from the war zone who came to Mena with few possessions and started everything from scratch.

And when I reminded the Ukrainians of journalisms primal goal of the pursuit of truth, I admit I was moved when they applauded. I asked if they feel freer to seek the truth since the 2014 revolution, and Nazarenko answered Tak. Yes. Of course.

The Committee to Protect Journalists says that 19 journalists have died violently in Ukraine since independence, nine of them in the last three years, including a prominent TV and online writer who was blown up in Kiev last summer.

Things are changing, said Ivan Petrykey, 32, who trained as a lawyer before he became a Nashe Slovo reporter. Journalists are getting more protection. But in Ukraine, its still risky to be a journalist.

Nazarenko acknowledged that it took some strong will, courage to plunge into privatization. While Ukrainians have a strong work ethic, he said, the Soviet oppression crushed many peoples initiative and entrepreneurism. Were still optimistic, very optimistic were moving in the right direction.

Are you confident you can compete and survive in a free market? Tak.

One of the great reasons I travel is because it always makes me more appreciative of what we have: in this case, the First Amendment, a society that protects democratic functions like journalism and strong private ownership that respects our role and demands our responsibility.

The Ukrainians are coming to appreciate journalism in their own way. Marc and I were guests at a national Journalists Day celebration in Chernihiv, where the governor and mayor spoke in honor of journalists. President Petro Poroshenko issued a congratulatory statement from Kiev.

Knowing that at home President Donald Trump is calling people like me enemies of the people, I especially appreciated the statement of Andrii Parubii, speaker of the Parliament:

Journalism is one of most vital feeding roots for any democratic nation. Not only spreading the word newsmen are committed to, they above all are bearers for freedom of speech. Without this freedom, without diversity of thoughts, ideas and views, without being eager to pose things fair and balanced, democracy itself would not as such be imaginable.

Parubii noted that, in the ongoing Russian aggression, reporters are working alongside soldiers on the front lines: Our journalists have actually become the information field soldiers of noble aim to protect our right to the truth, our sovereignty. They do defend our nation with their greatest weapon with the word.

frank.denton@jacksonville.com: 904-359-4197

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Frank Denton: Helping Ukraine paper figure out its future - Florida Times-Union

Westmeath southpaw Joe Ward is on course for his third European title in Kharkiv, Ukraine, but Antrims Brendan Irvine and Kurt Walker had to settle for bronze after losing their semi-finals yesterday.

Ward, the defending champion and No 1 seed in the light-heavy class, beat Italys Valentino Manfredonia in yesterdays 81kg semi-final on a comprehensive unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27, 30-25, 30-27).

The Rio Olympian said before the fight that if he performed, the Brazil-born Azzurri orthodox didnt have a chance. He delivered yesterday, though Manfredonia was limping after the first round from a leg injury.

Ward will now meet Russias Muslim Gadzhimagomedov who beat Croatias Damir Plantic yesterday in todays final looking to become the first Irish male boxer (Katie Taylor has won six) to claim three European titles. Facing a Russian in a major final is unlikely to phase the Irish champion, as he beat Russias Nikita Ivanov in the 2011 decider to become one of the youngest international boxers to win European gold, aged just 17.

The plan all along is to win the gold medal in the Ukraine. Thats what Im out here for. Gold is always my target, said Ward.

Meanwhile, Irvine, the No 4 seed in the flyweight class, dropped a unanimous (30-27, 29-28, 29-28, 29-28, 29-28) decision to Dean Farrell, the English orthodox impressing with his high work rate.

Irvine detonated the heavier punches in the opening two rounds, but Farrell, while missing with the first two shots of his three-punch combinations consistently found the target with the third. Irvine upped the pace in the last frame. A massive left could have changed the course of the fight, but Farrell slipped the shot en route to upgrading to silver.

Walker lost to Mykola Butsenko. The Ukrainian was awarded a 30-27 decision across the board.

The defeat means that Ireland has relinquished the European title it has held for the last four years, courtesy of Nevin in 2013 and Michael Conlan in 2015.

Ward, Irvine, Walker, and Sean McComb qualified for the World Championships in Hamburg. Germany, in August/September in Kharkiv after finishing in the top eight, but Dublin middleweight Emmet Brennan could qualify if Azerbaijans Kamran Shakhsuvarly claims gold today. Todays finals begin at 2pm Irish time.

See: Digest

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Ward on course for third European boxing title in Ukraine - Irish Examiner

The United Nations reports that deaths and injuries from the conflict in Ukraine have been rising in recent months.

The conflict has now entered its fourth year. Russian-supported separatists in eastern Ukraine are fighting forces loyal to Ukraines central government.

This week, the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights released a report on the situation.

U.N. investigators noted evidence of 193 conflict-related casualties among civilians from the middle of February to the middle of May 2017. The report says the number includes 36 deaths.

This is a 48 percent increase over the last reporting period, said High Commissioner Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein. He spoke to the U.N. Human Rights Council Wednesday.

Zeid noted that, The majority of these casualties resulted from shelling, explosive devices and remnants of war.

U.N. officials estimate that about 10,000 people have been killed and more than 23,500 injured since the fighting started.

Sergiy Kyslytsya, deputy minister for foreign affairs for Ukraine, confirmed the findings of the report. It noted "continuous inflow of foreign fighters and supply of ammunition and heavy weaponry from the Russian Federation into parts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine.

The minister added that while these activities continue, there is no end to the conflict in sight.

Peace efforts have failed

Ukraine, Russia and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe signed an agreement to end the fighting in September 2014. But this deal and other peace efforts have failed to end the violence.

The U.N. reports hospitals and schools in eastern Ukraine have been damaged by repeated shelling. It said shells hit the Donetsk Filtration Station and the South Donbas pumping station first, endangering safe water supply to more than one million people on both sides of the contact line.

Zeid said that both sides of the conflict were to blame for human rights violations. He added that his team has documented cases of unlawful and arbitrary detention on both sides of the contact line.

He noted reports of almost systemic use of torture and ill-treatment by the Security Service of Ukraine. Investigators were told the security service used such methods to force conflict-related detainees into making statements against their will.

Zeid said that efforts to investigate claims by victims often failed.

Sanctions to continue

The United States and European Union took steps to answer Russias takeover of the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine three years ago. The U.S. government and EU ordered sanctions to punish Russian businesses and individuals.

In a meeting with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump said he has no plans to end the sanctions.

After the reports release, Russia expressed concerns about new cases of arbitrary and illegal detention. It also criticized the use of torture by Ukrainian security forces to obtain confessions in the Donbass region.

Ukraines Deputy Foreign Minister said the only way to improve human rights in the area is through full consolidation of the international community and pressure on Russia.

Im Jonathan Evans.

Lisa Schlein reported on this story for VOANews.com. George Grow adapted her report for Learning English. Hai Do was the editor.

______________________________________________________________

casualty n. someone who is killed or hurt in an accident or conflict

remnant n. usually a small part of piece of something

sanction n. an action taken by one country to make another country follow a rule or law

arbitrary adj. existing or coming about by chance

confession n. the act of admitting something

consolidation n. the process of uniting

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UN: Deaths, Injuries Rising as Ukraine Enters Fourth Year of Conflict - Voice of America

Poroshenko -- who is viewed as an enemy to Russian leaders in Moscow -- was scheduled to "drop by" a meeting with President Donald Trump and national security adviser H.R. McMaster during his previously scheduled visit with Vice President Mike Pence, according to the White House schedule.

Trump told reporters, briefly allowed into the room, that "a lot of progress has been made" in relations between the United States and Ukraine. The White House also put out a short, direct official read out of the meeting, noting that the two spoke about a "peaceful resolution to the conflict in eastern Ukraine and President Poroshenko's reform agenda and anti-corruption efforts."

Arriving at the West Wing on Tuesday morning, Poroshenko wasn't greeted by Trump -- as the President has been known to do with other leaders -- and walked into the West Wing quietly and without fanfare. Poroshenko will primarily meet with Pence, who advisers say has a close relationship with the Ukrainian leader.

In a nod to Poroshenko, the Trump administration announced more sanctions against separatists, including some Russians, involved in the conflict in Ukraine as the president arrived at the White House.

Poroshenko's treatment is noteworthy given Trump's tendency to roll out the red carpet for almost all foreign leaders who visit the White House -- even those from small countries with few pressing issues in the United States.

Other foreign leaders have been given muted welcomes when meeting with Pence, not Trump. King Abdullah II of Jordan met with Pence at his residence earlier this year and did not officially meet with Trump, while Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernndez met with the vice president in March without much fanfare.

But the subdued meetings are more rare.

Despite the less-than-warm welcome, Trump and Poroshenko -- on paper -- would seem to have a lot in common. The duo are both new to politics and built sizable empires in business. Poroshenko, a billionaire, owns Roshen, a large candy company, and 5 kanal, a Ukrainian broadcast company and Trump regularly touts his business acumen, his wealth and the fact he is new to politics.

Multiple senior Trump administration officials pushed back against the idea that Poroshenko was snubbed by the White House, saying he got more face-time with top Trump officials than other world leaders.

"Not all visits are the same," the official said, arguing that Poroshenko saw "all the senior most people in the building," including one-on-one time with Trump, Pence and McMaster.

The official said visits are "different every time" and this sort of visit is not a "uniquely Trump thing."

Most notably, the muted welcome is striking given the Ukrainian leader's reputation a vocal critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose meddling in the 2016 election and subsequent investigations into the Trump campaign's ties to Russia have largely overshadowed the first few months of the Trump presidency.

Close ties between Trump and a Ukrainian leader like Poroshenko would likely anger leaders in Russia, who have blamed the United States for conflict in Eastern Ukraine, where fighting between Ukrainian forces and Russian backed groups continues.

Biden even made Poroshenko part of his swansong foreign trip, visiting Ukraine days before Trump was inaugurated.

In addition to meeting with Trump, Poroshenko will meet with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Secretary of Defense James Mattis on Tuesday.

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Ukraine leader gets low-key welcome at White House ...