Hackers Blamed for Announcement of Fake Ukraine Defense Ministry MH17 Briefing

Sep. 30, 2016

Hackers have been blamed for a fake announcement claiming that the Ukrainian Defense Ministry would hold an “emergency briefing” on the downed Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17.

The declaration was made on a website of the Information-Analytical Center for Ukrainian National Security, which came under cyber-attack from an unknown party on Friday morning, the Slon news website reported.

The hackers also claimed that excerpts of the conversation between the MH17 flight crew and Ukrainian air traffic controllers were set to be released, the 112.ua news website reported.

Website moderators said that they had been targeted for their "modest contribution in the war against Russia for the territorial integrity of Ukraine,” Slon reported.

Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 crashed over eastern Ukraine in July 2014, killing all 298 people on board.

A Dutch-led investigation concluded on Monday that the plane had been brought down by a Buk missile, fired from an area held by pro-Russian separatists.

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