BRUSSELS: A transnational cybercrime network responsible for disruptive denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks across Europe has been dismantled in a coordinated international operation, according to a statement released by Europol on Wednesday.
Codenamed Operation Eastwood, the crackdown targeted the pro-Russian hacking group NoName057(16), which had claimed responsibility for a series of cyberattacks aimed at municipalities and organisations associated with last month’s NATO summit in the Netherlands.
Targeted NATO-Linked Entities Across Europe
The group, composed largely of Russian-speaking ideologues and sympathisers, was linked to attacks on public institutions not only in the Netherlands but also in Germany, Sweden, and Switzerland, Europol confirmed. Initially focusing on Ukrainian systems, the group shifted its sights toward countries supporting Ukraine amid the ongoing conflict with Russia.
Europol emphasised that the hackers operated without centralised command or advanced cyber tools, using automated DDoS platforms to flood servers and disrupt online services of NATO-aligned governments.
The attack infrastructure was widespread, involving over 100 computer systems globally. Authorities successfully took a major portion of the central servers offline, crippling the group’s operational backbone.
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Global Enforcement and Arrests
Judicial authorities in Germany issued six arrest warrants for individuals based in Russia, naming two as ringleaders. Their names now appear on Europol’s “Europe’s Most Wanted” list. Meanwhile, one suspect was detained in France and another in Spain, while the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) assisted from the United States.
In addition to arrests, law enforcement agencies across Europe contacted hundreds of suspected supporters, warning them of potential legal consequences for aiding or sympathising with NoName057(16).
“Individuals acting for NoName057(16) are mainly Russian-speaking sympathisers who use automated tools to carry out distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks,” Europol stated. “Operating without formal leadership or sophisticated technical skills, they are motivated by ideology and rewards.”
This marks one of the most significant enforcement actions against ideologically motivated cybercrime networks in recent years