Ukraine hacks Russian TV to show the real cost of war
Photo: Hackers showed the Russians the truth about the war (Getty Images)
On the evening of August 24, Ukraine’s Independence Day, Russian TV broadcast a video showing the actual losses of the Russian army in the war against Ukraine, as well as other “achievements” of the so-called “special military operation," according to sources from the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine.
Local cyberpartisans managed to hack the Russian provider #3 and display the “unauthorized” video simultaneously on 116 TV channels.
The cyberactivists also blocked administrators’ access to the servers in order to complicate the interruption of the broadcast.
At least 50,000 subscribers from Moscow and other regions of Russia watched explosions at Russian oil refineries and the burials of soldiers on their TV for more than three hours during prime time.
For users without digital television, the broadcast was available through the Apple Store, Google Play, Smart TV apps, and other cable networks.
According to the sources, such cyberattacks make it possible to convey the truth about the war to Russians, which differs from the Kremlin’s official propaganda.
Cyberattacks against Russia
Since the beginning of the full-scale war against Ukraine, Russia has become the target of numerous cyberattacks.
Hacktivists, international groups, and individual specialists have regularly attacked government websites, media, financial institutions, and Russia’s energy infrastructure, disabling them or leaking sensitive information.
Hackers of Ukrainian intelligence regularly carry out cyberattacks against Russia.
They attacked the company Gaskar Integration, which is one of the largest suppliers of drones for the Russian army.
