Cyber Incident Victim: Russia-24
Date:
Jun 2021
Location:
Russia
Summary
A televised phone-in event featuring the Russian president experienced significant disruptions due to powerful DDoS cyberattacks targeting the broadcasting network's digital systems. Connection issues repeatedly occurred during the live broadcast, particularly affecting calls from remote regions like Siberia. The state-run channel confirmed the attacks on-air, prompting a lighthearted response from the president about regional "hackers." Russia's largest telecommunications provider acknowledged the incidents and stated countermeasures were being implemented to block the malicious activity, while Kremlin officials indicated the attacks' origin remained unidentified. The disruptions unfolded against a backdrop of heightened international tensions over cybersecurity issues between Russia and the United States.
| CIA Posture | Motives | Tactics, Techniques & Procedures |
|---|---|---|
| Available to members | 2 motives | 1 technique |
| Threat Actors | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 0 actors | Available to members | Available to members |
Description
On June 30, 2021, during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s annual televised phone-in event broadcast by the state-run Rossiya 24 network, the program experienced significant technical disruptions attributed to cyberattacks. The live broadcast, which allowed citizens across Russia to submit real-time questions to Putin, encountered repeated connection failures, particularly affecting calls originating from remote regions. A presenter from Rossiya 24 explicitly cited “powerful DDoS attacks” targeting their digital systems as the cause of these interruptions, specifically highlighting connectivity issues during an attempted call from the Kuzbass region in southwestern Siberia. The disruptions occurred intermittently throughout the nearly four-hour event, though the broadcast continued despite the technical challenges. Putin initially reacted with skepticism to the announcement of the cyberattacks, questioning their validity before humorously suggesting the presence of hackers in Kuzbass. The incident unfolded publicly during the live program, with the network acknowledging the attacks on air while attempting to manage the logistical complications they created for the nationally televised event.
Russia’s largest telecommunications provider, Rostelecom, confirmed the cyberattacks to news agencies shortly after the broadcast, stating that countermeasures were being implemented to “block these illegitimate activities.” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov informed RIA Novosti that the origin of the attacks remained unidentified at the time of reporting. The incident occurred against the backdrop of heightened U.S.-Russia tensions over cybersecurity, following President Joe Biden’s imposition of sanctions in April 2021 for the SolarWinds cyberattack attributed to Russian actors and recurring accusations of Russian interference in U.S. elections. While the phone-in event proceeded to completion, the disruptions underscored vulnerabilities in critical broadcasting infrastructure during high-profile government communications. No additional technical details about the attack vectors, exact scale, or affected systems beyond the referenced DDoS incidents were disclosed by Rossiya 24, Rostelecom, or Kremlin officials in the immediate aftermath.