RTThu, 31 Jul 2025 16:29 UTC

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Western agencies are sabotaging Russian companies because sanctions and military pressure have failed, Andrey Svintsov has claimed.
US and UK intelligence services were behind this week's
major cyberattack that disrupted operations at Aeroflot and other Russian companies earlier this week, a senior Russian lawmaker has claimed.
Andrey Svintsov, the deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee on Information Policy, has said the attack is
part of a coordinated campaign by Western powers to damage the Russian economy after failing to achieve their objectives through military means and sanctions.
Aeroflot, Russia's largest airline, was forced to cancel or delay dozens of flights on July 28 after
pro-Ukrainian hacker groups claimed to have crippled the airline's internal IT systems. The cyberattack also disrupted airport operations and affected other companies, including a nationwide pharmacy chain.
"These are not isolated hackers, but a planned action by American and British intelligence agencies," Svintsov told Russian outlet Abzats. He described the campaign as a "systematic effort that is being carried out against Russia," suggesting that it's
a sign of desperation by the country's adversaries.
"This is a systematic approach by our Western enemies, who have failed to defeat Russia on the battlefield. They are moving to weaken the economic potential, since sanctions are not helping," Svintsov said. He warned that cyber sabotage could continue until Russia achieves victory in the Ukraine conflict.
In May,
Defense Secretary John Healey said the UK would significantly increase cyber operations against Russia and China. He confirmed the creation of a new Cyber and Electromagnetic Command, adding that
"the keyboard is now a weapon of war."The Kremlin has urged Russian businesses to replace foreign-made software and hardware to reduce exposure to cyber threats. Last month, President Vladimir Putin instructed the government to accelerate import substitution.
Hacker groups
Silent Crow and Cyberpartisans BY have claimed responsibility for Monday's attack on Aeroflot. They claim to have been inside the airline's corporate network for over a year,
stealing more than 20 terabytes of data and destroying around 7,000 servers.Communications regulator Roskomnadzor said the data leaks have not been confirmed. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has confirmed the cyberattack and opened a criminal case.
Comment: UK aims to increase
cyberattacks with Russia and China in the crosshairs:
London will significantly step up offensive cyber operations against Russia and China, UK Defense Secretary John Healey announced on Thursday following the inauguration of the country's new Cyber and Electromagnetic Command.
In a statement quoted by The Times, Healey claimed that "the keyboard is now a weapon of war" and said the UK's new cyber command would coordinate both defensive and offensive operations, including hacking into enemy systems to disrupt attacks and spread of propaganda.
Asked whether this would include Russia and China, Healey responded: "Yes."
Healey's statement marks the first time a British minister has explicitly confirmed cyberattacks on other states. While UK ministers had previously confirmed cyber operations against non-state actors like Islamic State, they have not until now acknowledged attacks against other countries.
The defense secretary added that more than £1 billion ($1.35 billion) has been allocated by the UK government for a "digital targeting web" to enable real-time battlefield intelligence-sharing between troops, spy planes and satellites.
Healey's comments come ahead of the publication of a strategic defense review on Monday. According to The Times, the review will stress that cyberattacks on Britain, allegedly being carried out by Russia and China, are "threatening the foundations of the economy and daily life."
Both Moscow and Beijing have consistently denied accusations of carrying out cyberattacks against Western nations, characterizing the claims as baseless and politically motivated.
More likely no country is innocent and no country is immune. What a waste.
See also:
Aeroflot cancels flights after alleged major hacking breach
One of the false flags that was being suggested for 2024-2025 is a widespread communications blackout or an attack on the major financial systems.
Does this Aeroflot event set up a false flag that can be blamed on Russia?