Support The Moscow Times!

'Hackers' Behind Air Raid Alerts Across Russia – Official

David Emrich / unsplash

Russian authorities said Tuesday that several regional television and radio stations that have recently broadcast air raid alerts had been breached by hackers.

The alerts are common across Ukraine, which is routinely targeted by drone and missile attacks, but the impact of fighting within Russia is limited to regions bordering the conflict.

"As a result of hacking of servers of radio stations and TV channels, in some regions of the country, information about the announcement of an air raid alert was broadcast," Russia's emergencies ministry said in a statement.

"This information is false and does not correspond to reality," it added.

Russian media reported that the alerts had been broadcast in the Belgorod and Voronezh regions bordering Ukraine, near Moscow and St. Petersburg and on the Crimean peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014.

The emergencies ministry said a similar cyber attack last week triggered air raid sirens across Russia.

The hacks targeted only private radio and television stations. 

The breaches came shortly after the first anniversary of Russian President Vladimir Putin's decision to send troops into Ukraine in February last year.

Several Russian regions bordering Ukraine have been targeted in attacks that Moscow has blamed on Ukraine.

… we have a small favor to ask.

As you may have heard, The Moscow Times, an independent news source for over 30 years, has been unjustly branded as a "foreign agent" by the Russian government. This blatant attempt to silence our voice is a direct assault on the integrity of journalism and the values we hold dear.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. Our commitment to providing accurate and unbiased reporting on Russia remains unshaken. But we need your help to continue our critical mission.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just 2. It's quick to set up, and you can be confident that you're making a significant impact every month by supporting open, independent journalism. Thank you.

Continue

Read more