Flights grounded as Russia’s largest airline Aeroflot hacked and systems ‘destroyed’

Flights across Russia faced widespread disruption on Monday after Aeroflot, the nation’s largest airline, became the target of a significant cyberattack. The incident led to numerous flight cancellations and system outages, prompting immediate investigations into the severe breach.

A pro-Ukrainian hacker collective known as Silent Crow, which has a history of targeting Russian organizations, along with Belarusian hacker counterparts, claimed responsibility for the cyberattack. Their actions are cited as a direct response to Russia’s ongoing conflict in Ukraine, aiming to disrupt critical infrastructure and operations.

In a detailed Telegram post, which was reviewed by TechCrunch, Silent Crow asserted complete control over Aeroflot’s vital operational systems. The group explicitly stated that they had “destroyed” the systems they accessed and claimed to possess terabytes of the airline’s internal company data. Screenshots allegedly shared by the hackers suggest deep access to various Aeroflot systems, including its internal active directory of users and extensive file shares.

Further alarming claims made by the perpetrators include the alleged acquisition of personal data belonging to all Russian citizens who have ever traveled with Aeroflot, raising significant privacy and security concerns for millions of individuals.

The immediate impact of the cyberattack was evident as Aeroflot’s official website became inaccessible on Monday, displaying a “temporarily restricted” error message. Visual evidence from inside Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport captured departure screens listing dozens of canceled flights, corroborating the widespread operational paralysis.

Responding to the severe disruption, Russian prosecutors officially confirmed that more than 60 flights were canceled due to a “hacker attack.” They have since initiated a criminal investigation into the incident, underscoring the gravity of the cyberattack on the national airline and its implications for national security.