Flights grounded as Russia’s largest airline Aeroflot hit by cyberattack

A significant cyberattack has forced Russia's largest airline, Aeroflot, to suspend flights across the nation. The incident, which occurred on Monday, has left many details unclear. However, a pro-Ukrainian hacker collective known as Silent Crow has claimed responsibility, collaborating with Belarusian hackers, and citing Russia's ongoing conflict in Ukraine as their motive. In a Telegram message, the group announced that they had gained control over Aeroflot's essential systems, claiming to have accessed terabytes of sensitive internal data. They declared that they had effectively “destroyed” the airline’s systems that were within their reach. Accompanying their claims, the hackers shared screenshots purportedly showcasing their access to various Aeroflot systems, including the internal directory of users. As a result of the cyberattack, Aeroflot’s website became inaccessible, displaying a message indicating that it had been “temporarily restricted.” Footage from Russian airports illustrated the chaos, with departure boards showing numerous flights marked as cancelled. Russian authorities have since confirmed that more than 60 flights were grounded due to the cyber incident, labeling it a “hacker attack.”