Aeroflot Cyberattack Grounds Flights as Hackers Claim Deep Network Breach

 

Cyberattack Grounds Aeroflot Flights, Hackers Claim Year-Long Infiltration

Russia’s flagship airline Aeroflot has cancelled dozens of flights following a major cyberattack that disrupted its IT infrastructure and caused widespread delays across the country. The airline announced that its flight schedule has now been “stabilised,” with 93% of flights operating as planned.

Scope of the Attack

• The cyberattack occurred early Monday and led to the cancellation of over 100 flights, including both domestic and international routes to Belarus, Armenia, and Uzbekistan.
• Aeroflot’s subsidiaries, Rossiya and Pobeda, were also affected, with disruptions at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport causing chaos for passengers.

Who’s Behind It?

• Two pro-Ukraine hacking groups—Silent Crow and the Belarusian Cyber Partisans—claimed responsibility.
• Silent Crow stated it had infiltrated Aeroflot’s systems for a year, destroying 7,000 servers and stealing sensitive data including passenger records and internal communications.
• The groups linked the attack to opposition against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Belarus’s support for Moscow.

Government Response

• Russian lawmakers called the attack a “wake-up call,” urging investigations into both the perpetrators and internal security failures.
• The Kremlin described the incident as “worrying,” and a criminal investigation has been launched.

Impact and Outlook

• Although Aeroflot resumed most operations by Tuesday morning, the long-term damage to its systems and reputation remains unclear.
• Analysts warn that the attack marks a shift toward “kinetic sabotage,” where cyberattacks have tangible effects on physical infrastructure.