Cyber Incident Victim: Russian Federation
Date:
Feb 2022
Location:
Russia
Summary
Anonymous conducted cyber operations targeting Russian entities, including the government website gov.ru, as part of #OpRussia in response to the invasion of Ukraine. The collective breached and leaked the site's database containing subdomains and back-end server IPs, alongside compromising thousands of other government, media, and private sector systems. Additional impacts included leaks of internal communications from cybercrime groups supporting Russia, source code from energy infrastructure, and alleged military documents outlining invasion plans approved in January with a blitzkrieg strategy spanning a specific timeframe. Hackers also accessed IP cameras to monitor Ukrainian movements, attempting to support military resistance efforts. The authenticity of some leaked strategic documents remained unverified.
| CIA Posture | Motives | Tactics, Techniques & Procedures |
|---|---|---|
| Available to members | 4 motives | 5 techniques |
| Threat Actors | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 7 actors | Available to members | Available to members |
Description
Anonymous launched a series of cyber operations against Russian and Belarusian entities beginning in late February 2022 under the #OpRussia campaign, directly responding to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The collective claimed to have compromised over 2,500 websites affiliated with both governments, including state media outlets disseminating disinformation, private Russian corporations, financial institutions, healthcare facilities, and transportation hubs. Among the primary targets was the Russian Government's official web portal (gov.ru), from which Anonymous exfiltrated and publicly released databases containing subdomain configurations and backend server IP addresses. Concurrently, the Ministry of Economic Development of Russia's website was breached, though specific data categories from this intrusion were not detailed. These actions aimed to disrupt governmental digital infrastructure and expose internal network architectures.
The operation expanded to include significant data leaks from critical Russian entities and allied cybercriminal groups. Anonymous-affiliated actors breached Gazprom, extracting and publishing source code repositories and proprietary WellPro project data. Simultaneously, pro-Ukraine hackers infiltrated the Conti ransomware group, leaking thousands of internal communications and malware source codes after Conti expressed support for Moscow. Anonymous also disseminated military documents allegedly stolen from Russian forces, including geographical maps and strategic files attributed to the Black Sea Fleet, though independent verification remained pending. These files purportedly outlined invasion plans approved on January 18, 2022, with operational timelines spanning February 20 to March 6 for a projected full occupation of Ukraine. Tactical disruptions extended to real-time surveillance interference, with Anonymous compromising IP cameras used to monitor Ukrainian civilian and military movements. The collective sustained operations through March, publicly vowing continued cyber support for Ukraine via social media channels while systematically releasing additional exfiltrated data.