Pro-Ukraine hackers hit Moscow airport, leaving 60 flights cancelled
Moscow
Dozens of flights were cancelled in Moscow on Monday following a suspected cyberattack by pro-Ukrainian hacker groups.
The Russian state airline Aeroflot initially reported around 60 cancelled flights at Sheremetyevo Airport, citing a disruption in its IT systems as the cause. Company experts were working to restore server operations to resume scheduled flights, it said.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described the reports as alarming.
'The threat from hackers is a danger faced by all major companies serving the public,' he said, according to the Interfax news agency.
Pro-Ukrainian hackers from the groups Silent Crow and Cyber Partisans BY claimed responsibility for the attack, stating that their operation against Aeroflot had been in preparation for a year.
The Russian Prosecutor General's Office has launched a criminal investigation into the illegal intrusion into computer systems.
Ukrainian media also quoted statements from the hackers, who claimed responsibility for a 'strategic strike' against Russia's largest airline. They said they had taken control of the entire IT infrastructure and destroyed 7,000 servers.
The hackers claimed to have collected 12 terabytes of data. They also sent a message to the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) and other cybersecurity agencies in Moscow, stating that they were incapable of protecting critical IT infrastructure.
Passengers hoping to travel for holidays were stranded at Sheremetyevo Airport and were asked to monitor announcements on the travel boards. Hundreds had to reclaim their luggage and leave the airport. Both domestic and international flights were affected.
In recent weeks, there have been repeated disruptions to Russian air traffic, including at Moscow's other major airports - Domodedovo, Vnukovo and Zhukovsky - due to the threat of Ukrainian drone attacks. Airlines have reported significant losses due to frequent airspace closures.
In Ukraine, however, passenger flights have not been possible for more than three years due to the Russian war of aggression. Ukrainian commentators noted that Russians are now experiencing what it feels like to be unable to fly for holidays.
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