On July 28, 2025, Russia’s flagship airline, Aeroflot, experienced a significant disruption in its operations due to a cyberattack that led to the cancellation of over 100 flights and widespread delays. The attack was claimed by two pro-Ukrainian hacker groups: Silent Crow and the Belarusian Cyber-Partisans. These groups stated that they had infiltrated Aeroflot’s systems for a year, accessing sensitive customer and internal data, and causing substantial damage to the airline’s infrastructure.

The cyberattack is considered one of the most disruptive to Russia since the onset of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The breach not only affected Aeroflot but also its subsidiaries, Rossiya and Pobeda, leading to operational paralysis at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport. While most of the affected flights were domestic, some international routes to Belarus, Armenia, and Uzbekistan were also impacted.

In response to the incident, Russia’s Prosecutor General’s Office confirmed the cyberattack and initiated a criminal investigation. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov described the situation as “quite alarming,” emphasizing the persistent threat of cyberattacks on large companies providing public services.

The hacker groups, Silent Crow and the Belarusian Cyber-Partisans, claimed that the operation was a result of a year-long infiltration into Aeroflot’s network. They alleged that they had destroyed approximately 7,000 servers and gained access to critical corporate systems, including flight history databases and employee communications. The groups also threatened to release the personal data of all Russians who have ever flown with Aeroflot.

This incident underscores the growing concerns over cybersecurity vulnerabilities within Russia’s critical infrastructure. The attack highlights the need for enhanced digital security measures to protect against increasingly sophisticated cyber threats, especially amid ongoing geopolitical tensions.

– AirCarrier.Link Staff Writer Myles Wingate