Cyber Incident Victim: Kommersant
Date:
Jun 2022
Location:
Russia
Summary
A Russian radio station's online broadcast was interrupted by hackers who replaced programming with the Ukrainian national anthem and anti-war songs, including "We Don't Need War" by Russian band Nogu Svelo. The station confirmed its internet stream was compromised, initiated technical investigations, and temporarily took the broadcast offline before restoration. This incident occurred amid heightened cyberattacks targeting Russian media following the invasion of Ukraine, part of a broader pattern involving disruptions to state-aligned outlets through unauthorized messaging and content substitutions by anti-war actors.
| CIA Posture | Motives | Tactics, Techniques & Procedures |
|---|---|---|
| Available to members | 1 motive | 2 techniques |
| Threat Actors | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 0 actors | Available to members | Available to members |
Description
On June 8, 2022, Kommersant FM’s online news broadcast was disrupted during its lunchtime bulletin by unidentified hackers who replaced regular programming with the Ukrainian national anthem and antiwar content. The intrusion occurred via the station’s internet stream, during which attackers played “Oh, the Red Viburnum in the Meadow,” Ukraine’s national anthem, followed by “We Don’t Need War,” a song by Russian rock band Nogu Svelo featuring a critical quote from Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Alexei Vorobyov, the station’s editor-in-chief, confirmed the incident to Russia’s state-owned Tass news agency, attributing it to a hack and stating technical specialists were investigating the attack’s origin. The station issued a public acknowledgment that its stream had been compromised and assured listeners it would be restored shortly. Normal operations resumed after a brief interruption, though the exact duration of the hack was not specified.
Kommersant FM, a radio subsidiary of the Kommersant newspaper, is owned by Uzbek-born billionaire Alisher Usmanov, who faced U.S. and EU sanctions over alleged ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin following the invasion of Ukraine. The incident occurred amid a broader wave of cyberattacks targeting Russian state media and government infrastructure since the war began on February 24, 2022. Previous disruptions included a March 2022 antiwar protest during a live state TV broadcast and a May 2022 Victory Day hack that displayed antiwar messages on smart TVs. Hacktivist groups supporting Ukraine had also leaked decades of emails from state media entities and compromised Russian online accounts. While the Kommersant FM hack caused no reported operational or financial damage, it exemplified the persistent targeting of Russian media platforms to disseminate antiwar messaging. The station’s response was limited to technical containment and restoring services, with no further public updates on the investigation’s findings or perpetrator attribution.