MEAWW.COM / NEWS / HUMAN INTEREST

Anonymous declares 'cyber war' against Putin, shuts down Kremlin-backed media website

The declaration of a cyberwar increases the chances that Russia is targeted with systematic hacking attempts in the coming days or weeks

Notorious hacking group Anonymous appears to have declared a "cyberwar" against Russian President Vladimir Putin's government after he launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The hacktivist group issued a stark announcement on their Twitter account Thursday evening, February 24, writing, "The Anonymous collective is officially in cyberwar against the Russian government." About half an hour later, they revealed they had taken down the website of Kremlin-funded media channel Russia Today or RT. Earlier reports claimed their website was inaccessible and displayed an error message. However, the site appears to be back online at the time of publication.

RELATED ARTICLES

Who owns Epik? Anonymous hacks right-wing web host, doxxes admins in 150 GB data leak

Did Putin record his invasion threat THREE days ago? Net sleuths spot clues

The declaration of a cyberwar increases the chances that Russia is targeted with systematic hacking attempts in the coming days or weeks. Ukraine's government and banks faced a massive cyberattack prior to the Russian invasion on Thursday, believed to have been carried out by Putin's government. The hacktivist group's declaration comes as a response to the same. "The #Anonymous collective has taken down the website of the #Russian propaganda station RT News," they said in their tweet about Russia Today.

Social media was inundated with people gushing over Anonymous's declaration of taking on Russia on the interweb. "I'm sorry, Anonymous going to war with Russia is the hardest core cyberpunk shit I have ever heard outside of a novel," professor Thomas Lecaque tweeted. "Anonymous doesn't pop up often, but when they do, it's always to carry out some cool shit," activist Charlotte Clymer added. "I’ve always wished hackers would use their power for good," one Twitter user wrote. "Revenge of the Nerds!" another commented. "It's starting. This is the end of Putin," someone else offered. 

Anonymous has been linked to several online attacks around the world aimed at punishing leaders and governments for policies the hackers don't approve of. They are perceived as anything from digital Robin Hoods to cyber terrorists for their hacking campaigns against agencies, child porn sites, and other such targets. It's worth noting that the hacktivist group has previously targeted outfits including the Ku Klux Klan, the Church of Scientology and Islamic extremists. Its members are referred to as "Anons" and are distinguished by their signature Guy Fawkes masks. Last year, the collective threatened SpaceX founder Elon Musk with hacking attacks saying he wielded too much power over cryptocurrency markets. 

In 2008, the collective staged a series of online protests, pranks, and hacks against the Church of Scientology as part of its 'Project Chanology.' Later targets included government agencies of the US, Israel, Tunisia, and Uganda, among others; copyright protection agencies; the Westboro Baptist Church; and corporations such as PayPal, MasterCard, Visa, and Sony. In 2013, Anonymous launched an attack on secret "chat sites" used by pedophiles to exchange photos. It's worth noting that several people have been arrested for their alleged involvement in the group's cyberattacks in the US, UK, Australia, the Netherlands, Spain, and Turkey.