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Massive Cyberattack Forces Russian Aeroflot to Cancel Flights

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Aeroflot, Russia’s flagship airline, was forced to cancel over 40 flights on Monday following a cyberattack attributed to a pro-Ukrainian group. The disruption, confirmed by Russian prosecutors as the result of hacking, raised alarms in Moscow during a critical period for domestic tourism.

Silent Crow Claims Responsibility for the Attack

A statement attributed to the hacker group known as Silent Crow, in collaboration with Belarus’ Cyberpartisans BY, claimed the attack was part of an offensive linked to the war in Ukraine. “Glory to Ukraine! Long live Belarus!” proclaimed the message, whose authenticity Reuters could not verify.

According to the statement, the operation had been underway for a year and succeeded in destroying 7,000 servers, as well as gaining control of personal computers belonging to high-ranking Aeroflot employees. The group also threatened to release the personal data of all passengers who had flown with the airline.

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Direct Impact on Flight Operations

Departure boards at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport turned red with cancellations, primarily affecting domestic routes but also flights to Minsk (Belarus) and Yerevan (Armenia). Additionally, at least ten flights experienced delays.

Aeroflot reported that its information systems had failed and that its teams were working to restore normal operations. Meanwhile, the airline offered passengers the option of refunds or rescheduling once the system became available. Efforts were also made to transfer some passengers to flights operated by other airlines.

Russian Government’s Response and Digital Tensions

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov described the situation as “concerning” and noted that all major companies providing public services face constant threats from cyberattacks. Lawmaker Anton Gorelkin went further, stating that Russia is under attack on all fronts, including the digital one.

“I do not rule out that the ‘hacktivists’ claiming responsibility for this incident are serving hostile states,” Gorelkin said.

Silent Crow’s Precedent

Silent Crow had already drawn attention this year for attacks targeting real estate databases, state-run telecommunications companies, insurers, the Moscow government’s IT department, and even the Russian office of South Korean automaker KIA. In some cases, massive data leaks were reported.

Aeroflot: A Giant Despite Sanctions
Despite sanctions imposed by the West following the start of the conflict in Ukraine in February 2022, Aeroflot remains one of the world’s top 20 airlines by passenger numbers. Last year alone, it carried 55.3 million people, according to official data published on its website.

This incident represents one of the biggest challenges for the company in recent times, jeopardizing its technological infrastructure and causing operational losses during peak travel season.

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