The Blubber

Last week, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered U.S. Cyber Command to halt all planning related to Russia, including any offensive cyber operations, according to three sources familiar with the decision.

Hegseth relayed the directive to Cyber Command chief Gen. Timothy Haugh, who then informed Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Ryan Heritage, the outgoing director of operations, the sources said. They spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter.

The order does not extend to the National Security Agency (NSA), which Haugh also oversees, nor does it affect the agency’s signals intelligence activities targeting Russia, the sources added.

While the full scope of Hegseth’s directive remains unclear, the move reflects the White House’s ongoing efforts to reset relations with Moscow, after years of U.S.-led sanctions and diplomatic isolation following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

President Donald Trump has made a series of statements aligning with Russian President Vladimir Putin, including blaming Ukraine for the war and calling its leader a dictator.

Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met in Washington on Friday to finalize a deal granting the U.S. access to Ukraine’s mineral resources. However, the agreement fell apart after a heated exchange between the two leaders in the Oval Office.

The duration of Hegseth’s order remains uncertain, though Cyber Command has been told the directive will remain in effect indefinitely, the sources said.

Heritage, who is expected to retire soon, has deep knowledge of the command’s mission plans, whether in the planning or execution stages. He would be responsible for notifying relevant units to suspend operations. This likely includes the 16th Air Force (Air Forces Cyber), which handles digital operations under U.S. European Command.

Cyber Command has begun preparing a “risk assessment” report for Hegseth, outlining the scope of halted missions, the risks posed by suspending operations, and ongoing cyber threats from Russia.

The exact impact on Cyber Command personnel remains unclear. If the order applies solely to offensive cyber units focused on Russia, it would affect several hundred individuals, including members of the 2,000-strong Cyber National Mission Force and Cyber Mission Force, which collectively consists of 5,800 personnel drawn from across the military. An estimated quarter of the offensive teams are dedicated to Russia.

However, if the directive extends to intelligence gathering, analysis, or cyber capabilities development, the number of affected personnel could be significantly higher. Cyber Command employs between 2,000 and 3,000 people, excluding service components and NSA personnel, who share the agency’s headquarters at Fort Meade, Maryland.