Aeroflot Grounded: Pro-Ukrainian Cyberattack Cancels Dozens of Flights in Moscow

Russia's flagship airline, Aeroflot, found itself grounded on Monday, canceling over 40 flights due to a significant cyberattack attributed to a pro-Ukrainian group. The digital assault targeted the airline's information systems, causing widespread disruptions at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport.

The Russian Prosecutor General's Office has initiated a criminal investigation into the incident, pointing to a deliberate hacker attack as the root cause of the chaos. Meanwhile, a group known as Silent Crow, alongside Belarusian hackers Cyberpartisans BY, claimed responsibility with a bold message: 'Glory to Ukraine! Long live Belarus!'

According to their statement, this wasn’t a spontaneous hit but the culmination of a year-long infiltration into Aeroflot’s IT network. They boast of destroying 7,000 servers and accessing senior management computers, though no concrete evidence has surfaced to support these claims. If true, this level of breach raises serious questions about the vulnerability of critical infrastructure in the digital age.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov didn’t mince words, calling the hacker threat a persistent danger to major service providers. Aeroflot, for its part, acknowledged the system failure on Telegram, warning of possible service interruptions and apologizing for the inconvenience as specialists scramble to restore normalcy.

Russian lawmaker Anton Gorelkin framed the attack as part of a broader digital war against the country, hinting at the involvement of 'unfriendly states' behind the so-called hacktivists. Whether this is geopolitical saber-rattling or a genuine concern, it underscores the growing intersection of technology and international conflict.

As flights remain delayed or canceled, passengers are left stranded, and the incident serves as a stark reminder that in today’s world, battles aren’t just fought on the ground—they’re waged in the unseen realm of cyberspace.