Russia's Aeroflot suffers IT failure, hackers claim responsibility
Aeroflot has drastically limited travel and routes but remains among the top 20 airlines worldwide by passenger numbers.
MOSCOW - Russian airline Aeroflot cancelled dozens of flights on July 28 after what it called a failure in its information systems, and a shadowy hacking group claimed responsibility for what it said was a crippling cyber attack.
The national carrier did not provide further details about the cause of the problem or how long it would take to resolve.
A statement purporting to be from a hacking group called Silent Crow said it had carried out the operation together with a Belarusian group called Cyberpartisans BY, and linked it to the war in Ukraine.
'Glory to Ukraine! Long live Belarus!' said the statement, whose authenticity Reuters could not immediately verify.
Silent Crow previously claimed responsibility for an attack on a Russian real estate database in January 2025.
Aeroflot said it had cancelled more than 40 flights after reporting a failure in its information systems.
Since Russia launched the war in Ukraine in February 2022, travellers in Russia have become accustomed to flight disruptions.
Top stories
Swipe. Select. Stay informed.
Asia Thailand, Cambodia agree to 'immediate and unconditional ceasefire' to de-escalate border row
Singapore Tanjong Katong sinkhole backfilled; road to be repaved after LTA tests
Singapore Ong Beng Seng set to plead guilty on Aug 4 in case linked to ex-transport minister Iswaran
Asia Gunman kills 5 security guards near Bangkok's Chatuchak market before taking own life
Singapore COE quota up 2.6% to 18,701 for August to October
Business Resilient economy versus uncertain outlook splits views on Singapore's monetary policy
Singapore HPB looking for vaping, smoking counselling services for up to 175 secondary school students
Singapore Jail for former pre-school teacher who tripped toddler repeatedly, causing child to bleed from nose
However, those delays have usually been caused by temporary airport closures after drone attacks.
Aeroflot said that 'specialists are currently working to minimise the impact on the flight schedule and to restore normal service operations'.
On Telegram, it listed more than 40 cancelled flights to destinations across Russia, as well as to the Belarusian capital Minsk and the Armenian capital Yerevan.
Aeroflot urged passengers whose flights from Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport had been cancelled to retrieve their checked-in luggage and leave.
News outlet Baza reported scenes of chaos at the airport, with logjams forming as passengers queued just to get out.
The statement in the name of Silent Crow said the cyber attack was the fruit of a year-long operation which had deeply penetrated Aeroflot's network, destroyed 7,000 servers and gained control over the personal computers of employers including senior managers. It did not provide evidence of those claims.
It threatened to shortly start releasing 'the personal data of all Russians who have ever flown Aeroflot'.
Aeroflot, which despite sanctions imposed on Russia for its war in Ukraine that have drastically limited travel and routes, remains among the top 20 airlines worldwide by passenger numbers.
In 2024, passenger traffic of the Aeroflot Group reached 55.3 million passengers, according to the airline's website. REUTERS
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
27 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Russian strikes on penal colony in Zaporizhzhia kill 16, Ukraine says
Find out what's new on ST website and app. Russian strikes on a penal colony in the frontline region of Zaporizhzhia in southwestern Ukraine overnight killed 16 people and injured at least 35, regional Ukrainian military and Zaporizhzhia's governor said on Tuesday Zaporizhzhia governor Ivan Fedorov, writing on the Telegram messaging app, said that the correctional facility's buildings were destroyed, and nearby private homes were also damaged. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, condemned the strikes as "another war crime" committed by Russia. "(Russian President Vladimir) Putin's regime, which also issues threats against the United States through some of its mouthpieces, must face economic and military blows that strip it of the capacity to wage war," Yermak said on X. Moscow forces have regularly attacked Zaporizhzhia, using drones, missiles and aerial bombs, since the start of the war that Russia started with a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Russia unilaterally declared early in the war its annexation of parts of Zaporizhzhia and areas in and around three other Ukrainian regions. Kyiv and its Western allies called the move an illegal land grab. Fedorov said that Russian forces launched eight strikes on the Zaporizhzhia district, reportedly using high-explosive aerial bombs. Reuters could not independently verify Fedorov's report. There was no immediate comment from Russia. Both sides deny targeting civilians in their strikes, but thousands of civilians have been killed in the conflict, the vast majority of them Ukrainian. REUTERS
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Malaysia may bar those under 13 from having social media accounts, says minister
Find out what's new on ST website and app. Malaysia is studying stricter enforcement measures, including a possible prohibition on social media accounts for children under the age of 13. KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia's Communications Ministry is studying stricter enforcement measures, including a possible prohibition on social media accounts for children under the age of 13, said its minister Fahmi Fadzil. 'Most platforms already do not allow children below 13 to have an account. 'Unfortunately, if you go to any school and ask students under 13 whether they have TikTok accounts, many will say yes – and that is a breach (of terms), acknowledged even by TikTok,' he told Parliament on July 29. He said the ministry is exploring ways to better enforce this age restriction, noting that protecting children online must be a shared responsibility of the government, social media platforms and parents. From Jan 1, 2022 to July 15, 2025, Mr Fahmi said a total of 1,443 pieces of harmful or extreme content involving children were taken down by service providers following requests from regulator Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC). He said these removals were carried out for violations of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 and platform community guidelines. To empower teenagers in navigating today's complex digital environment, Mr Fahmi said the ministry is also rolling out digital literacy modules tailored for those aged 13 and above. 'These modules are to ensure our teenagers understand the information landscape they live in and the steps they need to take to stay vigilant. 'Not everything we see on social media is necessarily true,' he added. Mr Fahmi also encouraged greater investment and inter-agency collaboration to develop more child-friendly local content. He cited Durioo, a local children's content platform that has worked closely with the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), as an example of efforts the government aims to support. 'I will ask Finas (National Film Development Corporation Malaysia) to look into how we can increase the volume of quality content for children, especially those aligned with our values,' he said. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Man steals durians from stall in Selangor –not once, but twice
Find out what's new on ST website and app. The seller posted a video of the alleged incident on Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu on July 28. In a literal case of daylight robbery, a durian seller in Malaysia was left astonished when a man walked up and allegedly took away a sackful of durians not once, but twice. The vendor, who sells the thorny fruit from a stall in the suburb of Puchong in Selangor, said the incident happened on the evening of July 27. The seller posted a video of the alleged incident on Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu on July 28. In it, a man, wearing a dark singlet and shorts, is seen taking the thorny fruits, said to be of a variant worth RM65 (S$19.60) per kilogram, and putting them in a white gunny sack. According to Sin Chew Daily, the durians are believed to be the Musang King variants, the most expensive at the stall. The man then calmly walked off and left in a motorcycle, with the sack of durians i n front of him. According to the vendor, the same man returned later to repeat the deed. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Asia Thirty dead, over 80,000 evacuated, following heavy rain in Beijing Asia Thai army accuses Cambodia of violating truce Singapore NDP 2025: Enhanced security measures to be put in place around the Padang Business SIA shares tumble 6.8% after first-quarter profit slide Sport World Cup winner Fabio Cannavaro among list of top names for Singapore football coach World Trump says many are starving in Gaza, vows to set up food centres Business BYD tops Singapore car sales in first half of 2025 with almost one-fifth of the market Singapore ST Explains: What we know about the Tanjong Katong sinkhole so far 'I have been doing business for so long and have never encountered such a thing. It's truly disheartening,' the seller posted on the video and urged other durian sellers to remain vigilant. 'Luckily, no one was hurt,' the vendor said, adding that a police report had been lodged. 'But seeing half the stall emptied like that… I was shaken.' Some netizens asked the vendor why he took the video instead of trying to stop the man. In reply, the seller said he took the footage as evidence for the police. The seller also claimed that the man seemed to have a weapon, possibly a knife, with him. 'I am going to install a CCTV after this,' the vendor said.
