Europol-led global operation takes down pro-Russian cybercrime network
Codenamed Eastwood, the operation targeted the so-called NoName057(16) group, which was identified last month by Dutch authorities as being behind a series of denial-of-service attacks on several municipalities and organizations linked to a NATO summit in the Netherlands.
Europol said that the cybercrime network also was involved in attacks in Sweden, Germany and Switzerland.
The police agency said the international operation 'led to the disruption of an attack-infrastructure consisting of over one hundred computer systems worldwide, while a major part of the group's central server infrastructure was taken offline.'
Judicial authorities in Germany issued six arrest warrants for suspects in Russia, two of them accused of being the main leaders of the group, Europol said. Five of them were identified on Europol's Europe's Most Wanted website.
One suspect was placed under preliminary arrest in France and another detained in Spain, Europol said. In the United States, the Federal Bureau of Investigation was involved in the operation.
Europol said members of the cybercrime group initially targeted Ukrainian institution, 'but have shifted their focus to attacking countries that support Ukraine in the ongoing defence against the Russian war of aggression, many of which are members of NATO.'
Law enforcement authorities in countries involved in the operation contacted hundreds of people believed to support the group to inform them of the crackdown and their alleged liability for its actions.
'Individuals acting for NoName057(16) are mainly Russian-speaking sympathisers who use automated tools to carry out distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks. Operating without formal leadership or sophisticated technical skills, they are motivated by ideology and rewards,' Europol said.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
NORAD Fighter Jets Stage Show of Force Near Russian Border
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. United States and Canadian fighter jets assigned to the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) recently conducted an exercise over Alaska, near the Russian border. The drill took place on July 10 near Alaska's Little Diomede Island, located in the Bering Strait between mainland Alaska and Russia's Far East. The remote island lies 2.4 miles from Russia's Big Diomede Island, which sits on the opposite side of the international date line. Newsweek has contacted the Russian Defense Ministry for comment via email. Why It Matters Formed by the U.S. and Canada, NORAD provides aerospace warning, aerospace control, and maritime warning in the defense of North America—including the detection, validation and caution of attacks against the continent whether by aircraft, missiles or space vehicles. The Russian military—along with the Chinese military—has previously sent aircraft near U.S. and Canadian sovereign airspace, within both nations' air defense identification zones. These zones cover international airspace and require the identification of aircraft. NORAD regularly conducts training to prepare for the interception of foreign military aircraft. In early March, the command's fighter jets and a U.S. bomber carried out a mock interception over Alaska, showcasing its ability to defend the continent at a moment's notice. What To Know According to photos released on July 16 by the Alaskan NORAD Region and Alaskan Command, U.S. F-16 and Canadian CF-18 fighter jets flew in formation near Little Diomede Island earlier this month during a "binational force integration" training exercise in Alaska. North American Aerospace Defense Command CF-18 fighter jets, left, and F-16 fighter jets, right, flying in formation near Little Diomede Island, Alaska, on July 10. North American Aerospace Defense Command CF-18 fighter jets, left, and F-16 fighter jets, right, flying in formation near Little Diomede Island, Alaska, on July 10. U.S. Department of Defense The Alaskan NORAD Region is one of three regions established under the binational command, alongside the Canadian NORAD Region and the Continental U.S. NORAD Region, the latter of which is divided into the Western and Eastern Air Defense Sectors. In addition to Little Diomede Island, NORAD fighter jets conducted training over Adak in the Aleutian Islands. In the summer of 2023, the U.S. military intercepted 11 Russian and Chinese naval vessels near Alaska's island chain, which extends into the Bering Sea. "Aircraft from the U.S. and Canada conducted training over Alaska demonstrating the flexibility of NORAD and the binational ability to integrate operations across regions to ensure the defense of North America in the High North," according to a photo caption. The F-16 fighter jets were launched from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska, while the CF-18 fighter jets were deployed from Canadian Forces Base Bagotville in Quebec—about 4,349 miles from Alaska, according to the Royal Canadian Air Force. Canadian and U.S. @NORADCommand aircraft are flying training missions across AK to include over Adak in the Aleutian Islands demonstrating the close integration of forces supporting the defense of North America in the High North. #ArcticSecurity | #WeHaveTheWatch | @RCAF_ARC — Alaskan NORAD Region and Alaskan Command (@ANRALCOM) July 11, 2025 The exercise also involved U.S. Air Force KC-135 aerial refueling aircraft and E-3 airborne warning and control system aircraft. The former extends the flight range of fighter jets, while the latter provides battle management, surveillance, target detection and tracking. What People Are Saying The mission statement on NORAD's website said: "In close collaboration with homeland defense, security, and law enforcement partners, prevent air attacks against North America, safeguard the sovereign airspaces of the United States and Canada by responding to unknown, unwanted, and unauthorized air activity approaching and operating within these airspaces, and provide aerospace and maritime warning for North America." The Royal Canadian Air Force said in a Facebook post on July 16: "Canadian and American forces worked shoulder-to-shoulder to integrate our forces, practice operational procedures, and demonstrate our ability to defend both countries in the Arctic through the NORAD partnership." What Happens Next The NORAD exercise comes as the U.S. pushes for the establishment of a Golden Dome missile defense system to protect North America. It remains to be seen whether Russia and China will conduct another joint aerial and naval operation near Alaska later this year.
New York Post
3 hours ago
- New York Post
Russia launches drone, missile attack on Kyiv, killing at least 1
KYIV — Russia bombarded Ukraine's capital city with drones and missiles Sunday night, killing at least one person and striking the entrance to a subway station where hundreds were sheltering. The assault was the first heavy targeting of Kyiv in a week, breaking a weeklong streak of Moscow easing up pressure on the capital while Special Presidential Envoy retired Gen. Keith Kellogg was in town for talks with Ukrainian leadership. Ukrainian air defences deploy against Russian drones during a drone strike in Kyiv on July 18, 2025. AFP via Getty Images Ukraine's air defense systems were activated, repelling the attack – though explosions were still heard around the city. Throughout last week, Ukrainians jokingly referred to the envoy as 'St. Kellogg' for apparently triggering Russia's pause in heavy strikes for fear of wounding the general and enraging President Trump. Sunday night's attack caused multiple fires in Kyiv and damaged a subway station as well as a kindergarten, shops and houses, according to city officials. Videos surfaced on social media of the underground station filling with smoke as people sheltered inside. A handout photo made available by the State Emergency Service shows a fire at a residential building after it was hit in a drone strike in Odesa, South Ukraine, on July 19, 2025, amid the ongoing Russian invasion STATE EMERGENCY SERVICE/HANDOUT/EPA/Shutterstock With Post wires
New York Post
11 hours ago
- New York Post
Moscow airports shutdown after Ukraine fires more than 230 drones
Russia was forced to temporarily close all four major airports in Moscow after Ukraine fired more than 230 drones over the weekend, officials said. At least 140 flights were canceled across Moscow following Ukraine's counterattack, which began Saturday morning, with 27 drones intercepted over the capital, according to Russia's defense ministry. The capital's airports were shut down 10 times in the last 24 hours due to the drone strikes, according to Russia's Association of Tour Operators (ATOR), the latest travel chaos the Kremlin has endured as it pushes forward with its invasion of Ukraine. 4 Ukraine's drone attacks have repeatedly caused chaos across Russia's airports. YURI KOCHETKOV/EPA / Shutterstock 4 Kyiv has vowed to step up its UAV attacks to keep the pressure on Moscow. REUTERS The attacks also caused the Kaluga International Airport, which lies southwest of Moscow, to temporarily shut down after 45 drones were intercepted in the region. The frantic weekend echoes the mass closures Russia saw back in May, where more than 500 drone attacks left some 60,000 passengers stranded in airports across the country, the BBC reported. Ukraine has vowed to step up its drone attacks on Russia to keep pace with the Kremlin's mass bombardment campaign, which has claimed the lives of dozens of civilians in recent weeks. Russia's Ministry of Defense said that it intercepted the drones along the regions bordering Ukraine, including in Rostov and Bryansk, as well as over the Black Sea. No casualties were reported. 4 Russia fired more than 300 drones over the weekend, killing three people, including an elderly woman in Sumy. STATE EMERGENCY SERVICE/HANDOUT/EPA/Shutterstock Kyiv's attack comes as Moscow itself fired more than 300 drones over the border, killing two people in Donetsk and a 78-year-old woman in Sumy, regional officials said. The latest wave came early Sunday, with 57 drones fired into Sumy, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Zaporizhzhia, all of which are current hotspots of the war. Amid the drone exchange, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky invited his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to meet directly with him for a new round of talks aimed at securing a cease-fire. 4 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called for Vladimir Putin to meet him face-to-face to negotiate a cease-fire. AFP via Getty Images 'A meeting at the leadership level is needed to truly ensure peace,' Zelensky said. Putin is allegedly open towards securing a peace settlement with Ukraine, but only if such talks prioritize 'our goals,' Kremlin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Sunday. Putin has previously stated that his goals include allowing Russia to keep all the territory it has taken during the war and for Ukraine to demilitarize.
