Russian state media disrupted by cyberattack

The cyberattack has been described by the Kremlin as unprecedented in scale.

VGTRK, Russia's state media giant, suffered a major cyberattack that took down its online services.

VGTRK, Russia’s state media giant, has been hit by a large-scale cyberattack. The company, which operates key national TV and radio stations, confirmed its online services were disrupted, though broadcasting remains unaffected. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described the attack as unprecedented, adding that specialists were investigating the source.

A Ukrainian government source claimed responsibility, stating that the attack coincided with President Vladimir Putin’s birthday. However, these assertions have not been independently verified. VGTRK’s website and online news channel were unavailable following the attack.

The disruption affected internal services, with reports of widespread damage. Some sources suggested hackers wiped critical data, including backups. VGTRK has yet to issue an official comment on the full extent of the breach or recovery efforts.

Maria Zakharova, Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, did not directly blame any group but linked the incident to a broader ‘hybrid war’ against media in Russia. Moscow plans to address the cyberattack at international forums like UNESCO.