logo
Russia's Aeroflot cancels dozens of flights after cyberattack causes IT outage

Russia's Aeroflot cancels dozens of flights after cyberattack causes IT outage

Time of India28-07-2025
Russian state-owned flagship carrier Aeroflot suffered a mass IT outage Monday following a cyberattack, Russia's prosecutor's office said, forcing the airline to cancel more than 100 flights and delay others.
Footage shared on social media showed hundreds of delayed passengers crowding Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport, where Aeroflot is based. The outage also disrupted flights operated by Aeroflot's subsidiaries, Rossiya and Pobeda.
While most of the flights affected were domestic, the disruption also led to cancellations for some international flights to Belarus, Armenia and Uzbekistan.
In a statement released early Monday, Aeroflot warned passengers that the company's IT system was experiencing unspecified difficulties and that disruption could follow.
Russia's Prosecutor's Office later confirmed that a cyberattack had caused the outage and that it had opened a criminal investigation.
Live Events
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov called reports of the attack "quite alarming," adding that "the hacker threat is a threat that remains for all large companies providing services to the general public."
Ukrainian hacker group Silent Crow
and Belarusian hacker activist group the
Belarus Cyber-Partisans
, which opposes the rule of Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, claimed responsibility for the attack.
The group claimed it had accessed Aeroflot's corporate network for a year, copying customer and internal data, including audio recordings of phone calls, data from the company's own surveillance on employees and other intercepted communications.
"All of these resources are now inaccessible or destroyed and restoring them will possibly require tens of millions of dollars. The damage is strategic," the channel purporting to the Silent Crow group wrote on Telegram. There was no way to independently verify its claims.
The same channel also shared screenshots that appeared to show Aeroflot's internal IT systems and insinuated that Silent Crow could begin sharing the data it had seized in the coming days.
"The personal data of all Russians who have ever flown with Aeroflot have now also gone on a trip - albeit without luggage and to the same destination," it said.
Russia's airports have repeatedly faced mass delays over the summer as a result of Ukrainian drone attacks, with flights grounded amid safety concerns.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Tariff tangle: Cast shrimp nets right, and India could come up trumps!
Tariff tangle: Cast shrimp nets right, and India could come up trumps!

Time of India

timean hour ago

  • Time of India

Tariff tangle: Cast shrimp nets right, and India could come up trumps!

Factors Details Shrimp export share to US ~92% of India's seafood exports ~$2.5 billion New US tariff ~50-59 % (up from 6-8%) Impact on margins Narrow profit margins (4-5%) are likely to be wiped out Potential market response Order cancellations, discounting, renegotiations Financial fallout Rs 600 crore burden on in-transit shipments Diversification efforts Pivoting to the EU, China and Gulf countries Support strategies Branding, RPA talks, support tied to export employment Live Events India produces approximately 900,000 to 930,000 tonnes of shrimp annually, with production volumes fluctuating due to factors such as disease outbreaks, unseasonal rains, and feed costs. In FY 2023-24, India's annual shrimp exports were substantial, totalling around $4.88 billion. Frozen shrimp accounted for the largest share of the country's total marine product exports, which stood at $7.38 August 6, 2025, US President Donald Trump announced an additional 25% tariff on goods imported from India. This move was a penalty tied to India's continued purchases of Russian energy and military equipment and set to take effect on August 27, 2025. Earlier on August 1, 2025, Trump had imposed a 25% reciprocal tariff. With the total tariff now at 50%, it is expected to severely impact key export sectors, such as shrimp, making Indian goods less competitive compared to rivals like Ecuador, which enjoys a much lower tariff of 10% on seafood exports to the US. Trade experts and government officials have stated that this steep tariff makes Indian exports to the US unviable and has prompted the Indian government to explore alternative markets and fast-track domestic reforms to support affected constitutes about 92% of India's seafood exports to the US, with a value of around $2.5 billion in FY 2023-24. Export margins in shrimp are typically narrow, ranging from approximately 4% to 5%. An increase in tariffs to over 50% from the previously existing 6-8% significantly squeezes profitability and makes Indian shrimp uncompetitive against rivals like Ecuador. The Seafood Exporters Association of India has issued a warning that 2,000 containers currently in transit may face additional duties, resulting in an estimated burden of Rs 600 crore to be borne by exporters. Major shrimp-exporter states such as Andhra Pradesh, which saw its marine exports to the US in 2024-25 valued at $170 million—nearly all frozen Vannamei shrimp—are especially susceptible to order cancellations, renegotiations, and financial distress across the supply chain. Share prices of listed companies like Avanti Feeds and Waterbase dropped up to 7% following the tariff announcement, reflecting investor concern over lost US market access and a potential collapse in are exploring new export destinations such as China, the European Union (EU), Japan, and West Asia. However, analysts caution that these transitions will take time to compensate for losses in the US market. The Indian government is encouraging exporters to build indigenous branding and consider support schemes tied to employment in marine exports to maintain competitiveness. Plans are underway for a US-India Regional Partnership Agreement (RPA) aimed at aligning trade and sanitary protocols, which could lead to a reduction in rejections and a more streamlined compliance process similar to the existing arrangements with Ecuador. Rather than subsidies, the government is exploring 'innovative' support strategies that align with the World Trade Organisation (WTO) compliance, moving away from subsidies. These strategies may include marketing campaigns, brand-building efforts, and potentially employment-based export support tariffs imposed by Trump, which have risen to about 50-59%, put a severe strain on the Indian shrimp industry, threatening to erode profit margins and competitiveness in its largest overseas market. While short-term shocks appear unavoidable, mitigation through new trade agreements, branding, compliance upgrades, and market diversification may help avert long-term the challenges in the export market, India's domestic shrimp market presents a significant opportunity for growth. Several factors and initiatives are driving this expansion. India's domestic shrimp market is already a major segment, with forecasts indicating it will reach $22.7 billion by 2033 (GII Research, IMARC Group, Research and Markets). This growth is driven by rising incomes and urbanisation. A growing middle class, equipped with greater disposable incomes, is increasingly adding seafood, such as shrimp, to their diets. There is a growing consumer awareness of the nutritional benefits of shrimp, particularly regarding its high protein content. Shrimp is a widely used ingredient in various Indian cuisines, contributing further to its increased government agencies and private players are actively working to promote domestic consumption. State governments are launching rebranding campaigns to increase awareness and consumption of locally produced shrimp. These campaigns are inspired by successful models of institutes like the National Egg Coordination Committee, which made eggs a household staple. The government is providing financial assistance for shrimp farming, processing, and marketing, including concessional finance for entrepreneurs and investors to set up aquaculture facilities and value-added product processing plants. There is a focus on building better cold storage and distribution networks to ensure the availability of fresh shrimp across the country, including in non-coastal areas. The rise of organised retail and e-commerce platforms is facilitating the sale of value-added shrimp products, like frozen, ready-to-eat, and marinated shrimp. This caters to the demand from urban consumers with busy can indeed turn this crisis around and come up trumps if we cast our nets right!!The writers M. Krishnan is former Principal Scientist & Head, ICAR - Central Institute of Fisheries Education, Mumbai; Badri Narayanan Gopalakrishnan is a visiting Senior Fellow, CSEP, New Delhi.

Russia Restricts WhatsApp, Telegram Calls, Says Need To Fight Criminality
Russia Restricts WhatsApp, Telegram Calls, Says Need To Fight Criminality

NDTV

timean hour ago

  • NDTV

Russia Restricts WhatsApp, Telegram Calls, Says Need To Fight Criminality

Russia announced curbs on calls on the WhatsApp and Telegram messenger apps on Wednesday, saying that this was necessary to fight criminality, state media reported. "To combat criminals, measures are being taken to partially restrict calls on these foreign messaging apps (WhatsApp and Telegram)," communications watchdog Roskomnadzor said, as quoted by the RIA and TASS news agencies. The messenger apps have become "the main voice services used for fraud and extortion, and for involving Russian citizens in subversive and terrorist activities," the watchdog added. Russian security services have frequently claimed that Ukraine was using Telegram to recruit people or commit acts of sabotage in Russia. Moscow wants the messengers to provide access to data upon request from law enforcement, not only for fraud probes but also for investigating activities that Russia describes as terrorist ones. "Access to calls in foreign messengers will be restored after they start complying with Russian legislation," Russia's digital ministry said. In a statement sent to AFP, Telegram said it "actively combats misuse of its platform, including calls for sabotage or violence, as well as fraud" and removes "millions of pieces of harmful content every day". Since launching its offensive in Ukraine, Russia has drastically restricted press freedom and freedom of speech online.

Russia's NATO Shocker: EU, Ukraine Want Pro-Putin Orban Out! Regime Change Brewing In Hungary?
Russia's NATO Shocker: EU, Ukraine Want Pro-Putin Orban Out! Regime Change Brewing In Hungary?

Time of India

timean hour ago

  • Time of India

Russia's NATO Shocker: EU, Ukraine Want Pro-Putin Orban Out! Regime Change Brewing In Hungary?

BIG! Putin To Meet Zelensky? Trump Vows 3-Way Meeting Without Asking After Warning On 'Russia Bluff' U.S. President Donald Trump has claimed that he will arrange a rare three-way meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky. The announcement follows a private virtual call between Trump, Zelensky, and European leaders, during which Zelensky reportedly said Putin is 'bluffing." The proposed meeting could mark a dramatic turning point in the ongoing conflict, with Trump positioning himself as a direct mediator between Moscow and Kyiv. This high-stakes diplomatic gamble comes at a critical moment, with the world watching to see if the confrontation will de-escalate—or explode. Watch. 83 views | 1 hour ago

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store