Moscow: Russian flagship airline Aeroflot was forced to cancel over 40 flights on Monday following a major cyberattack that compromised its information systems. The disruption, which affected both domestic and international routes, was later claimed by the pro-Ukrainian hacker group Silent Crow, with Russian authorities launching a criminal investigation.
Flights Cancelled, Investigation Launched
The Prosecutor General’s Office confirmed that the failure in Aeroflot’s digital infrastructure was the result of unauthorised access by hackers. The disruptions, centred around Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport, left departure boards lit up in red as dozens of flights were cancelled or delayed during peak holiday travel.
The attack led to the cancellation of over 40 flights, including those to Minsk in Belarus and Yerevan in Armenia, and delays of at least 10 more. Russia’s Transport Ministry, Aeroflot, and the country’s aviation regulator have yet to issue official updates on the scale or duration of the fallout.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov acknowledged the growing threat, saying, “The information we are reading in the public domain is quite alarming. The hacker threat is a threat that remains for all large companies providing services to the population.”
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Hacker Group Claims Responsibility
Silent Crow, the group behind the breach, released a statement—purportedly in coordination with Belarusian collective Cyberpartisans BY—linking the attack to Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine. “Glory to Ukraine! Long live Belarus!” the group declared in a message circulating on encrypted channels.
The authenticity of the statement remains unverified. Ukraine has not issued any comment. Silent Crow has previously targeted Russian telecoms, real estate databases, and even the IT department of Moscow’s government, often resulting in substantial data leaks.
Russian lawmaker Anton Gorelkin labelled the incident a digital front in the larger geopolitical conflict. “We must not forget that the war against our country is being waged on all fronts, including the digital one,” he said.
No timeline has been provided by Aeroflot for full restoration of services. The situation has raised alarms about the vulnerability of critical infrastructure amid heightened geopolitical tensions.