Ukrainian hackers blitz Russian state TV on Putin's birthday

Ukrainian hackers attacked the All-Russia State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company (WGTRK). They disrupted the online broadcast of more than 20 propaganda television stations, including Rossiya-1 and Rossiya-24, a source from the Interfax-Ukraine agency reported on Monday.

According to the informant, not only are these television channels' online broadcasts unavailable, but television in Russia is also not functioning. It was reported that data on WGTRK servers, including their backups, have been destroyed. Online transmission and internal services are not operational. Additionally, the company's headquarters are experiencing internet and phone access difficulties.

An anonymous pro-Ukrainian hacker group, Sudo rm-RF, which has previously targeted entities in Russia, claimed responsibility for Monday's operation. The attack coincided with Vladimir Putin's birthday.

Earlier, WGTRK reported that it was the target of an "unprecedented" cyberattack last night, but radio and television broadcasting were not interrupted. The attack affected the company's internet services sector.

At the daily press conference, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that an investigation is underway to determine who could be responsible for the attack on this "critical infrastructure facility."

- Online broadcasts and internal services are down. Restoring them will take a considerable amount of time. I heard that the hackers erased everything from the servers, including backups – the Gazeta.ru portal reported, citing a person familiar with the situation.

WGTRK is the largest state media holding in Russia and serves as a major pillar of propaganda, primarily targeting Russian audiences. Television and radio channels - including Rossiya-1 and Vesti FM - are among the most popular in the country.