Ukrainian hacktivists, believed to be associated with the Blackjack group and possibly linked to the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), have launched a retaliatory cyberattack against the Russian internet provider M9com.
This action comes in response to the December cyberattack on Ukraine’s national telecom provider Kyivstar, which disrupted communication services for over half of the country’s population. The hackers reportedly targeted M9com, based in Moscow, destroying its servers and causing widespread disruptions to internet and television services for approximately half of Moscow’s residents. The attack affected M9com’s official website, mail servers, cyber protection services, and all branch websites.
Ukrainian law enforcement sources shared information with Ukrinform, the Ukrainian National News Agency, identifying the Blackjack group as the likely perpetrators of the retaliatory attack on M9com. The sources indicated that the cyberattack impacted M9com’s various services, resulting in significant consequences for the Russian provider.
NetBlocks, an internet monitoring site, corroborated these reports by confirming disruptions to M9com’s network over the past 24 hours, validating the claims that the attack forced the internet provider’s network offline. This retaliatory move underscores the escalating cyber conflicts between Ukraine and Russia, further complicating the already tense relations in the digital realm.
