Pro-Ukraine Hackers Ground Aeroflot: Cyber Attack Causes Flight Chaos

Mon Oct 20 2025 23:06:26 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

**Pro-Ukraine Hackers Ground Aeroflot: Cyber Attack Causes Flight Chaos**

A pro-Ukraine hacker group claims it incapacitated Russia's national airline's IT systems, leading to massive flight cancellations.

The cyber-attack, involving the Belarusian group Cyberpartisans, disrupted Aeroflot operations, prompting an investigation by Russian authorities.

In a dramatic escalation of the digital front in the Ukraine-Russia conflict, Aeroflot, Russia's national airline, has faced significant operational disruptions due to a cyber-attack by a pro-Ukrainian hacker collective known as Silent Crow. This group claimed responsibility for the breach alongside the Belarusian team, Cyberpartisans.

Aeroflot reported cancelling over 40 flights, mainly within Russia but also on routes to Belarus and Armenia, citing a critical issue with its IT systems. The Kremlin expressed concerns over the situation, calling it "worrying." Delays affected numerous passengers as Aeroflot struggled to restore normal operations.

Silent Crow boasted of a "prolonged and large-scale operation" that allegedly "completely destroyed" the airline's IT framework, and they threatened to leak personal information of all individuals who have flown with Aeroflot. Their Telegram missive concluded with a patriotic salute: “Glory to Ukraine! Long live Belarus!”

Anton Gorelkin, a member of Russia's parliament, commented on the incident, emphasizing that the war against Russia extends to digital realms as well. Meanwhile, Russian authorities confirmed a hacker attack caused failures in Aeroflot's systems and have since started a criminal investigation.

While the actual impact of these hacker claims remains uncertain, this incident represents one of the few times an offensive cyber operation has visibly affected a major Russian company, disrupting the travel plans of thousands. Pro-Ukraine and pro-Russian hacker groups have ramped up their activities since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, though the authenticity of their claims often remains unverified.

Cyberpartisans, which has engaged in attacks since 2022, describes its mission as liberating Belarus from dictatorial control, emphasizing their commitment to aiding Ukraine in this conflict. The ongoing cyber warfare reflects the pervasive digital battleground in today's geopolitical struggles where the lines between activism, espionage, and warfare continually blur.