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Russian Radio Station Hacked to Play Ukrainian National Anthem

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Hackers targeted Russian radio station Kommersant FM on Wednesday, broadcasting the Ukrainian national anthem and anti-war songs to protest Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

The station was quickly pulled off the air. “The radio station has been hacked. The internet stream will soon be reinstated,” the station confirmed in a statement.

The hackers’ anti-war offering included Russian rock band Nogu Svelo!’s song "We Don't Need a War," which repeatedly features a quote from Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov that roughly translates to “a tough guy always keeps his word.”

The Kommersant FM hack is the latest in a string of digital attacks since Russia invaded Ukraine.

Earlier in May, Russia's homemade YouTube alternative Rutube was taken offline by a cyber attack ahead of the country’s annual Victory Day parade on Red Square. 

Also in May, Ukrainian media also published photos that purported to show a hack of several Russian television channels. The channels appeared to show a message which read: "the blood of thousands of Ukrainians and hundreds of their children is on your hands. Television and the authorities are lying. No to war."

In April, hackers also leaked the personal data of 120,000 Russian servicemen apparently fighting in Ukraine as well as data from the Culture Ministry, Central Bank and communications regulator Roskomnadzor.

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